


Black and White

by AsphodelRose87



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Black Family (Harry Potter) - Freeform, Death, Death Eaters, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Minor Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape, Muggle Culture, Muggle London, Muggle/Wizard Relations, Murder-Suicide, Post-Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Pride and Prejudice References, Pureblood Society (Harry Potter), Regulus Black Feels, Regulus Black-centric, Severus Snape Has a Heart, Teen Romance, Temporary Character Death, The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-23 00:33:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17673017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsphodelRose87/pseuds/AsphodelRose87
Summary: What happens when Regulus Black begins to see that his brother Sirius is not an irresponsible ungrateful, that his favourite cousin is actually a murderer and not a heroine, and that unlike what his mother claimed, muggle girls can be much more interesting than many pureblood witches? This is the tragic tale of how Regulus learned he was fighting on the wrong side.





	1. First Lesson: Wizarding Supremacy

Walburga Black hated having to walk down the muggle road on which she lived. Sometimes, she really cursed her ancestors for choosing to build their family home in an area so crowded with muggles! Not that the area was bad; in fact, Islington-Angel was one of the nicest places to live in London, and Camden and Notting Hill were fairly popular choices among many wizarding families who had decided to settle down in the country's biggest city.

Sometimes, Walburga had ardent discussions with her husband (and cousin) Orion regarding the decision of moving out of the city to one of the family's countryside properties. The family's manor in Windermere was spacious and opulent. Perhaps they could move to their small cosy cottage home in the village of Tinworth in Cornwall. However, Orion had never been a nature lover. He was a man of the city, and he loved the liveliness of the English capital far too much to give it up to live "like a farmer in the middle of nowhere," as he usually described it.

On this particular sunny afternoon in July, Walburga was walking back home with her two sons – Sirius, her firstborn at nine years old, and Regulus, the younger, who had just turned eight. She held their hands tightly as she feared that they might try to escape from her grip while they were walking toward the square located near their house. It was a beautiful, tree-lined square, full of flowers with a small playground for the kids. The only drawback was that it was always plagued by dirty muggle children. Therefore, it wasn't very surprising that she had never allowed either of her sons to spend any of their free time at the playground – no matter how inviting the weather was outside. She would never let her precious babies be contaminated by that kind of scum.

Regulus was walking with his mother and older brother after coming back from visiting their old aunt Lucretia, who lived in a very small town near the bother of Wales. The only exciting occurrence for the boys was that they had gotten to travel by Knight Bus because their mother didn't trust him and his brother enough to travel alone through the Floo network on such a long journey just yet.

He looked jealousy at a group of children who were playing together at the park. Usually, Sirius was the only playmate he had, and his brother wasn't really known for his companionship except on the infrequent occasions that their mother would decide to have an afternoon tea with one of the Ladies of High Wizarding Society who had children around their age. All three of his cousins—Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa—were far too old to play games with him. It's not surprising, then, that Regulus was a very lonely boy.

Regulus turned and caught a glimpse of two extremely identical twin sisters who seemed to be around his age and were playing together with their dolls not very far away from them. An older boy was teasing one of the girls, trying to put something in her hair. The three children all had similar colouring – possibly siblings. The woman near them, whom Regulus thought to be their mother, was completely unaware of her children's behaviour as she was reading a book and looked deeply entranced. Regulus looked to his brother, who had also spotted the scene. Immediately, Sirius let go of their mother's tight grip, dashed toward the muggles, and took the doll from the girl who was being bullied by the boy whom Regulus believed to be her brother. His brother and the muggle boy exchanged a shared smirk before running as far away from the girls as possible.

"Miss Morgan, Alfred and that boy took my Emily away!" The girl complained tearfully to the woman whom Regulus had previously believed to be their mother

"SIRIUS BLACK! COME BACK HERE NOW!" Regulus heard his mother shouting, letting him go from her grip.

"Those silly boys are going pay for this!" the sister of the girl who had just had her doll stolen said loudly, more to herself than to her sister. "Wait here, Belle," she said before standing up and running after both boys, hunting them around the playground. Sirius and the boy named Alfred started throwing the doll to each other, making the girl run in two different directions. Regulus noticed that the other sister was still sitting on the grass, not far away from where he was, silent tears running from the girl's wide eyes. Regulus couldn't help but feel compassion for the muggle girl. Why did his brother never miss an opportunity to be a complete prick?

"Alfred! You are so dead when I get my hands on you!" the twin chasing the boys screamed at her brother.

"Alfred! You are so dead when I get my hands on you!" The boy mocked her, speaking in a falsetto girl's voice. "That's not a very lady-like thing to say, Helen!" The boy made fun of her again, impersonating another voice, a serious, fatherly one.

The girl, Helen, Regulus assumed, showed Alfred her tongue before turning around to chase Sirius, who was holding the doll at that moment. Somehow, Sirius had managed to climb a tree, and he was laughing at the girl's efforts to chase him there.

"You're not so big now, are you?" Sirius laughed again and exchanged another mischievous grin with the girl's brother while watching her pointless efforts in climbing the tree.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK! GET DOWN HERE NOW!" Walburga Black screamed with unbelievable strength. Walburga was near the tree that Sirius had climbed, standing beside the muggle girl who was still trying to climb the tree and recover her sister's doll.

"Hey mate, I'm free here!" Alfred said to Sirius from the other end of the park.  
Sirius, who had noticed that Helen was having some success in climbing the tree, decided that it would be much more fun to throw it to the other boy. However, the doll fell on the ground not very far from the spot where Regulus was still standing. The other boy, Alfred, was running towards him to get the doll once again, but Regulus decided to go and get the doll first and to be finished with all of this nonsense once and for all.

Regulus picked up the doll, and Alfred smiled at him, believing that he had decided to join their game. However, Regulus looked down the boy with the arrogant derisive glare that the Black family was famous for, and that he had learned to give since he was a toddler. Then Regulus walked to the girl who was still crying on the grass and offered the doll back to her.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you Miss, but I believe that this belongs to you," Regulus said, offering her the doll back.

"T-Thank you," she said, trembling before she smiled at him. He smiled back, and they continued to glance each other's way for a few seconds until his mother, who was pulling Sirius by his ears, looked at him and screamed: 

"REGULUS! NOT YOU TOO! COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!" With one last apologetic look directed at the girl, Regulus went down to where his mother was standing. He immediately felt pain when her hands gripped tightly on his right ear. "BOTH OF YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!"

Without exchanging any words with the muggles in the park, she dragged both of her sons to her house. Once there, she pushed them straight away to the dining room before she shouted at them again.

"HOW DARE YOU?! BOTH OF MY SONS, INTERACTING WITH MUGGLE SCUM? YOUR FATHER AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR THAT!"

"But I haven't done anything!" Regulus complained, feeling that she was being very unjust with him, as it had been Sirius the one who had started everything.

"YOU TALKED TO THE MUGGLE! YOU TOUCHED A MUGGLE POSSESSION REGULUS."

"But mum, I was only trying to be a gentleman! You told me that…" Regulus start to say, but he was cut off by his mother.

"I've taught you to be a gentleman, yes. But you need to be a gentleman around people that deserve such treatment! I haven't raised any of you to be integrating with muggle scum. Both of you are grounded." Both boys started to protest when she said that. "For an entire week," she declared.

Both boys looked extremely disappointed. Regulus looked at his brother with rage.

"Kreacher!" she called, and the house-elf appeared with a POP. "Make sure these two young men are locked up in their rooms." Turning back to the boys, she said, "I want both of you to write me an essay telling at least ten reasons why wizards should not interact with muggles. 

I want a one-meter-long, Hogwarts-styled essay. You two are only allowed to leave the room to research in our family library and go to the bathroom. No dinner tonight."

Sirius rolled his eyes while Regulus nodded his head in acceptance.

"If the essays aren't good enough by next Friday, both of you are going to have to give me twenty reasons instead of ten. Now, get out of my sight!"

Without exchanging words, both brothers left the room and went up the stairs.


	2. Second Lesson: Muggles can be charming

Fifteen-year-old Regulus Black couldn't believe sometimes the things he would do to save his older brother's ungrateful neck. Here he was, in front of a muggle's home, about to ring the doorbell to drag his brother back home – before their mother decided to do it.

There are a couple of things that are impossible for you to do together and not become good friends; stealing a doll from a poor seven-year-old girl is probably one of them. Since the day Regulus's brother and Alfred had tortured that young girl, Sirius would grab any opportunity to escape from the Black household and run straightway to the White's place where Alfred and his two sisters lived. As ironic as it all was, the White boy and his brother had become as close as flesh and blood brothers. This isolated Regulus even more, leaving him only Kreacher, whom he would beg to play with him. Granted, Sirius had invited him to be a part of their 'muggle' games, but Regulus had refused to give his parents even more distress than they already had. Furthermore, play with muggles? Only his brother Sirius could come up with such nonsense like that!

Regulus used his pocket handkerchief to avoiding touching the muggle's doorbell ringer. He waited until a girl one head shorter than he was opened the door. She had her hair tied up in a ballerina's bun, and her facial features appeared to be extremely delicate. She was wearing a ballet skirt and a muggle jumper over her suit, hiding her body shape. Regulus would deny it even under torture, but the fact was that the girl had made his heart beat faster.

"Are you one of Sirius's stupid friends?" she asked, analysing him from head to toe. "They are all in the basement. Second door past the stairs," she said, opening the door for him and moving aside to let him in.

But Regulus didn't move; he stayed where he was, trying to find the right words to speak to her.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not Sirius's friend. I'm his brother. Could you please inform him that our mother is looking for him, quite desperately, and that I would urgently advise him to come back home immediately."  
The girl looked at him carefully as if she was expecting him to pull a prank on her at any second, but then she realised whom he was.

"Yes, of course! I know you! You are the boy who saved my doll ages ago. I haven't seen you around since that day. If Helen and Miss Morgan hadn't seen you as well, I would have probably believed that I had imagined you," the girl said, giving him a large grin. "Nice to meet you again; my name is Annabelle, but you may call me Belle." The girl extended her hand as if waiting for him to shake it and introduce himself.

However, the only thing that Regulus could think about was how he could manage to get out of that situation. Even though his mother's voice was shouting in his head that he shouldn't touch her dirty muggle skin, his body screamed, begging for her touch. He ended up taking her hand, covering his hand with his ever-trusted handkerchief.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Belle. I'm Regulus," he said, letting her shake his hand the muggle way. Regulus had never greeted any woman like this before, as he had learned from his mother that the correct way to greet a woman would be to give a soft kiss to the back of their hand.

"Regulus. Would you like to come in?"

"I'm sorry if I sound impolite, but I must refuse the invitation." Regulus stopped for a second before answering her, choosing his words very carefully. "I'm in a bit of a hurry, and I would be eternally grateful if you would please fetch brother for me."

"Well, why don't you go down and talk to him yourself? The distance between here and our basement is the same for both of us," she answered, looking deeply into his eyes. Regulus caught himself wondering what kind of muggle spell that girl could possibly be using on him to make him feel so hypnotized by her appearance. "Come on; you needn't be scared of my house!"

Regulus remained still while he considered the implications of this invitation. He was extremely proud that he had never stepped into a muggle household in his life. What would his parents say to him if they knew that he had gone willingly into one? What would his favourite cousin, Bellatrix, say when she found out about the situation that he had gotten himself into? The girl's charming face was enough to point out to him that the only thing he could get out of this situation was trouble.

"I'm sorry, Miss White, but I must insist that I stay outside."

The girl opened her eyes widely, making them even bigger than they normally were. "May I dare ask you the reason for this unreasonable invitation refusal?"

"I'm sorry, Miss White, but as much an exuberantly charming young lady as you are, there's no way of denying that some bloodlines are simply superior to others. Ignoring this fact would be to deny my natural superiority, a sad fact that unfortunately goes beyond things that you could possibly understand."

Regulus finished this sentence, looking down his shoes, hoping that her small muggle brain wouldn't be able to fully understand all the facts that he had harshly told her. However, her face showed that she had more than understood exactly what he had meant.

"Mr Black, are you trying to say that you consider yourself better than me and my family? Because if you are, I believe that I might have misjudged you. For a moment, I thought you were different than your brother, but now can I see that you are as much of a jerk as he is."

It was Regulus's turn to look at her with shock. People usually told him how different the two Black brothers were. Sirius was a Gryffindor while Regulus was a Slytherin; Sirius was a bully while Regulus was a geek. Regulus did anything possible to please their parents while Sirius would do anything he could to make them feel annoyed.

"Right. So that's what you think of me?" Regulus asked her, outraged by her comparison.

"That's exactly how you are portraying yourself to be."

At this moment, a second girl appeared at the door. She was clearly Belle's twin sister, but instead of a ballet costume, she was wearing a fighting kimono, a black belt tight around her waist. Instead of a ballet hair bun, she had opted to tie her hair into a neat ponytail.

"Who is this?" Belle's twin asked.

"Black's jerk brother," Belle answered her sister.

Her sister's sighed. "Second door after the stairs. Try not to break anything, okay?" said the unknown twin.

Regulus was about to open his mouth to protest and tell her sister that he couldn't come in when an older woman appeared at the doorway.

"Lovely! You both are ready. Come on; let's go. We don't want to be late for your classes." Only when the woman was outside she noticed Regulus standing in front of the house. 

"Hello, young man. How can I help you?"

He was about to answer the woman, but he was cut off by Belle's twin sister. "He is here for Alfred's stupid gathering."

The old woman gave her a severe glare, but it was to Regulus whom she was looking at when she opened her mouth. "Second door after the stairs," she said, holding the door wide open for him to pass. "Come on in, boy; we don't have the whole day!"  
Regulus looked at the woman. She had that severe glare in her eyes, which were enhanced by her square glasses.

"Shall I lock you in, or shall I lock you out?"

Regulus didn't answer her question. Instead, he took a deep breath and entered the White's house for the very first time.

The first thing that Regulus noticed were pictures on the wall that didn't move; the second thing was some very weird Muggle-looking machines that he had never seen before in his life. After using his hankie to open the door that the three women had indicated, he went down the stairs to the basement. When he arrived, he saw a group of about ten teenagers, the majority of them were boys. There was a band playing some music, and it was with complete shock that Regulus realised that his brother was the vocalist of the band.

He was even more astonished when he realised that he actually knew two other people there from Hogwarts – the Potter boy and the little one who looked like a rat. Potter was the first one to notice Regulus's presence in the room.

"WOW, SIRIUS! LOOK AT WHO IS HERE!" James Potter shouted to his best friend.

"REGULUS? What are you doing here?" Sirius answered, completely shocked. "No, don't tell me! You realized that this thing about blood supremacy is a bollocks myth, right? Come here and join the good lads club!"

A small group of teenage girls that were there cheered at what he said. Regulus felt a huge wave of nausea when the youngest of the girls approached him, touching his arm.

"Are you going to introduce your friend to us, Snuffles?" the girl asked Sirius while trying to keep holding on to Regulus, who was trying to avoid touching her at all costs.

"Amy, this is my baby brother, Regulus, aren't you, little Reggy?"

Regulus looked as if he were being forced to smell something extremely disgusting. "Sirius, we need to talk. Privately," Regulus said to his brother and walked up the stairs.

Sirius exchanged curious glances with the other marauders before following his brother up.

"This had better be important, Reggy. As you could see, I was in the middle of something…"  
Regulus shook his head in disbelief before speaking to his brother. "How can you do that?! Be surrounded by muggles like that!"

"If you are here to badmouth my friends, I think I can classify this as an unimportant reason," Sirius said, turning his back to his brother.  
"Mother is looking for you. It's only a matter of time until she realises where you are. You need to come back home, Sirius; Bella's wedding is tomorrow, and we need to be at the Lestrange's manor by noon!"

"I'm not coming! I refuse to attend a Death Eater's wedding. You can tell that to her."

"Sirius, you need to be more reasonable! Bella is our cousin. Our parents are going to be very embarrassed if you are not present!"

"I couldn't care less for what the Wizarding High Society thinks about me! Tell them that I'm staying at James's house until the first of September."

"Sirius! You can't do that to our mother! She is going to die of disgust! She might even disown you!"

"Well, I'm not going to be there. She's going to have to deal with it! If she wants to disown me because of that, so be it then. I don't want any part of a family who supports Death Eaters breeding anyway. Now, if you don't mind, I need to practice. We have a show tomorrow."

"You're so selfish, Sirius! You don't even care about how other people feel."

"And you are naïve for eating up all this rubbish our parents have thrown at our heads! For Merlin's sake, Regulus! Don't tell me you don't know about all the things that Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange are involved in?"

"They are fighting for an honourable cause, Sirius!"

"Regulus, are you insane? Since when is killing innocent people an honourable cause?" Sirius said, completely astonished. "You know what, Reggy? Stay there with our parents and the rest of our family at that despicable wedding! You guys deserve each other!"

After saying this, Sirius slammed the door in Regulus face, leaving his younger brother completely lost in his deep thoughts.


	3. Third Lesson: Blood ties matters

Regulus was fixing his tie in the mirror of the Black manor. Regulus was now sixteen years old, and Sirius no longer lived on Grimmauld Place with him and his parents. Sirius now was seventeen, and as long as Regulus were aware, his brother was camping on the house of his Hogwarts housemates. Not that he did care about Sirius whereabouts, because he really didn't. His brother had chosen his path when he refused to attend Bella's wedding, and now it was up to Regulus, to carry on the name of the Black family to its prestigious glory alone.

That afternoon on the beginning of July, Regulus had arranged to meet up with some students like Snape, Avery and Mulciber. Together, they had arranged a meeting with Regulus's cousin Bellatrix and her husband Rodolphus were they planned to discuss how and what they could do to help the Death Eaters cause. Regulus hasn't comment any of this with his parents yet, as he planned to make a surprise. He was certain that they would approve it though, as it wasn't rare for him to ear they talking about the Lestrange's as they were true heroes.

The meeting had been arranged in a very small and infamous wizarding Pub which was located near the King's Cross area. As this place wasn't very far from Regulus home and he was a bit earlier, Regulus decided that he fancied a little walk for a change. He put on his top hat and was about to leave the house when his mother called his attention.

"Regulus my darling, where do you think you are going?"

"Sorry mother, I forgot to mention, but I'm going to meeting a couple of friends for lunch at the Troll Eye's," Regulus said hoping that she wouldn't feel angry for him didn't tell her his plans beforehand.

As he expected she answered him with a large smile.

"Oh my Regie, you always so well related! Different from that other one who was always… never mind! Shall I expect you for dinner?"

"Probably yes, but I promise to send you a message if it changes, mother. Now I'm better to keep going, as I don't want to be late."

And after kissing and hugging his mother on the chick, Regulus left his parents home on what had been so far a very regular Tuesday afternoon. However, not long after stepping out of the safe zone of his parents home, Regulus heard someone calling his name. He was completely shocked when he noticed that it had been a muggle that had called him; the muggle boy that used to play with his brother when they were young.

"Hey, Black! Regulus, isn't?" Regulus tried to ignore the teenager, but he was determined to call his attention "Wait! Please, it's important!" The muggle boy posited himself in front of Regulus, making it impossible for the wizard carrying on ignoring his presence.

"I'm sorry, but I'm extremely late for an appointment… now if you excuse me, I…" Regulus tried but he was cut off by the boy who seemed to have around the same age as his brother.

"Sirius suffered an accident yesterday! He is unconscious on the emergency unit of the University College Hospital," Alfred said finally grabbing Regulus full attention "they said that it's a miracle that he is alive. He lost tons of blood, and the hospital seems unable to find a compatible donor… apparently, his blood type is so rare that they have never seen anything like it before! I've been trying to find someone from your family for ages but…" but it was Regulus turn to cut off the muggle boy who seemed to be in a panic.

"Wait, where again did you say that they've taken my brother?" Regulus looking a bit pale.

"To the UCH, you must know it. It's that big hospital near Euston…"

"Can you take me there?" Regulus asked letting a little bit of panic shown in his voice.

"Of course, that's what I've been trying to contact someone from your family for ages! Come on, let's get a cab!"

And both boys ran to Pentonville Road where it wasn't hard to get a cab. Regulus was so worried about the perspective of finding his brother in an awful state under the care of muggle doctor's, that he didn't even have time to feel disgusted for touching a muggle car or to be travelling on the company of a muggle. Everything he could think about was the health state of this elder brother.

"What happened with Sirius? What sort of accident was he involved in?" Regulus asked worriedly.

"He bought an old motorbike from my uncle's shop with me yesterday, and well… he crashed…" Alfred answered him a bit embarrassed. He was the one who had helped Sirius to get a fake driver license in order for him to be able to purchase and drive his new motorcycle.

"Typical Sirius way to get trouble." Regulus rolled his eyes.

He was worried about finding a way to take his brother out of that place full of muggles. 

Regulus was still underage, so he couldn't technically perform magic outside the Hogwarts grounds unless in case of emergency. Would the Ministry consider it as an emergency?  
The cab didn't take more than three minutes to leave them in front of the hospital. Once there, Alfred led the way to the cubicle where Sirius was laying completely unconscious. 

He had bandages on his head and some tubes connecting him to a muggle mechanical machine. The cubicle was very simple and had a strong smell of cleaning products that he had never smelt on his life before. Regulus was very surprised to see the girl that had answered the door of the White residence for him last year. Her hair was still up on a ballerina's bum, and she seemed to be comforting a second girl that Regulus had never seen before on his life.

Regulus stared at the White twin girl once more and she gave him an annoyed glare back. Maybe she remembered their last talk after all. He couldn't avoid noticing that she looked much more attractive than what he could remember. Regulus was wondering why they didn't find girls like that in Hogwarts when Alfred's voice that took him out of his trance.

"I've got Sirius's brother with me," Alfred informed the girls. "so maybe they'll be able to do the blood transfusion now…"

"His situation has changed; the doctors said that he no longer requires a transfusion…" Alfred's younger sisters answered him.

"What's his situation now?" Regulus asked the girl, but she ignored him and looked at her brother while answering his question.

"The doctors are astonished; they say it looks like his body is healing itself! They said it is like a miracle, as if by magic. But they don't know why he is not waking up… it's like he is in a coma, but they can't explain why he is in a coma."

Regulus felt a little bit angry for being ignored by the muggle girl, but he had more problems in his mind to give any importance to her disdain. He scanned the room looking for some way that he could possibly take Sirius away from that place. He clearly needed to be taken to St. Mungos were they surely would know how best to treat him. It was when his eyes rested on a bag that he recognized as belonging to his brother. Without asking permission, Regulus opened the bag and found a two-way-mirror inside that Sirius had probably stolen from their parents. Regulus gave a weak smile and turned to face the others.

"I'm sorry, but would you mind to leaving me alone with my brother for a few moments?"

After exchange a few glances but no words, the two girls left the room, leaving Alfred and Regulus left together.

"I didn't think you care about your brother." The muggle boy observed.

"I'm here, aren't I? Now, if you would mind to excuse us…" Regulus pointed to the exit from Sirius cubicle.

Alfred looked like he would say something but he ended up deciding not to say anything and left both Black brothers together. Without waiting any longer, Regulus took the two-way mirror from his brother bag and started talking to it, hoping that someone that would truly care about Sirius health would answer it. Regulus wasn't very surprised when he saw the face of James Potter on the other end of the mirror after trying calling the owner of the other half for a couple of minutes.

"Black? What are you doing with Sirius's mirror?" James asked him suspiciously.

"Potter, I need your help to take Sirius out of this place! It's infested with muggles here!" Regulus asked his brother best friending hoping that he would understand the emergency of the situation.

"What's the problem to be in a place full of muggles Black? Let me talk to Sirius!" James answered him coldly.

"Potter, don't you understand? Sirius is unconscious in a muggle hospital! I think that he is using his magic to heal himself but I think it is making him magically exhausted. I'm still sixteen and I can't do magic to take him out here!"

"Merlin's beard!" James exclaimed in shock. "Regulus, I'm here with Remus… we are both seventeen. Tell me where you are and I will pick your brother up!"

Regulus gave him short directions and in less than a minute James and his other friend appeared on the same ward that Regulus had been. Both carrying their wands on their fists.

"Sirius!" James went near to his best friend. "I know I should have gone with him… it was all my fault!"

"James, blaming yourself is not going to help him now. Come on; let's take him out of here." Remus said grabbing Sirius belongs.

"Thank you very much for this, Regulus," James said to him after positioning himself near Sirius in a preparation for a side-along apparition.

"I haven't done this for you, Potter! You might have forgotten, but Sirius is my brother." Regulus answered harshly.

"Whatever makes you happy. I'm glad you helped him anyway." James answered ignoring Regulus bad manners. "Shall we go, Remus?"

And with a magical POP noise, Sirius and his friends disappeared in front of Regulus eyes. At least his brother was going to receive a decent treatment, Regulus though when he looked the time on his pocket watch. He cursed when he noticed that it was five minutes past the time he had arranged to meet up with his school friends. He knew that he couldn't be very far from the Pub, but he also had no idea where he was; his best option was going to be to take the knight bus and hope to arrive there before the time he had arranged with the Lestranges. However, when he was about to leave that infested place, he was caught by surprise by the White twin girl, who blocked his way out with her own body.

"Are you going already? Leaving your ill brother on the mercy of strangers?" Annabel White said not believing her eyes.

"I've made sure that he is being transferred to a proper hospital..."

"But… you can't do that!"

"Of course I can. I've already done it!" He said giving her a harsh stern.

"But… we've been here the whole night with him! Lisa is going to be heartbroken! They have been dating for the past of couple months..."

Regulus's eyes widened in shock when told that his brother had been dating a muggle for the past couple of months. He quickly composed himself and directed the word to her with the Black's typical coldness.

"Well, you can hardly blame me for wanting my brother to have the best treatment available, can you? Now, if you can excuse me, I'm extremely late for an appointment with my friends."

"You can't seriously be thinking of going out and meeting friends with your brother being unconscious in a hospital bed! This is so selfish of you!" She spat her anger at him.

Regulus froze his eyebrow after hearing her comment. Sirius was the selfish one, not him! He had just made himself late for an important appointment because of his brother reckless care with his own life. Regulus was the one who was about to risk his own life for an honourable cause! How couldn't she see the clear difference between them?

"You may think whatever pleases you, muggle, but I assure you that I can be many things, but selfish is not one of them. Now, can you please excuse me? I don't want to be even later than I am already…"

"At least let us know to where he was transferred. Please!" She grabbed his arm with urgency in a last attempt to make him stop.

"I'm sorry, but he was taken to a place that people like you have no access to it." He said avoiding looking her on the eyes. He knew that what he was saying was nothing but the pure truth, but for some strange reason, saying it loud made him feel very bad.

Annabel took this frankness as rudeness and if she was angry before, now she looked possessed after hearing that comment. Regulus didn't blame her reaction, after all, she really didn't understand why she wouldn't be allowed inside the Magical Hospital.

"Are you insinuating that my brother, my friend and I are less valuable than you?" Her voice was shaking with range.

"That's not what I said, but it does not cease to be true..." He said with a hint of compassion in his eyes. It wasn't her fault that she had born a muggle after all…

"Go fuck yourself, Black!" She said and left him standing alone in the busy Hospital lounge.

For a moment, that felt like an eternity Regulus forgot about his gathering with his friends, and the range on the girl's voice was everything he could think about. For some reason he couldn't understand, the hatred in her voice bothered him. After long minutes had passed, he realized how late he was and dashed to make his way to the old Pub were his friends were certainly waiting for him with very unpleasant faces.


	4. Fourth Lesson: Books and letters are a dangerous business

August flew so fast that when Regulus realized there was only one day left from his school summer holidays. He was very excited for the beginning of his last year at Hogwarts, especially because now in addition to be the Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, he had also been chosen to be the new Head Boy. He knew that this would give him enormous prestige not only at the Slytherin's but with the whole school. His hopes were that this perhaps could end up facilitating his assigned task of bringing more young followers for the Dark Lord cause.

Regulus Black was walking back to Grimmauld's place carrying seven different books under his arms. He had spent long hours at Severus Snape house. The former Slytherin – and now also a Death Eater – had accepted to help him to learn the bases of Legilimency and Occlumency in exchange for a little bit of Sirius' hair. Those were magic fields that Regulus decided that he would like to learn since he found out that the Dark Lord was extremely skilful at both if them.

Regulus caught himself pressuring his left inner arm where his brand new Dark Mark remained invisible unless his Master decided to summon him. His freshly marked skin still hurt, as a reminder that from now on his life would be forever bonded to the Dark Lord. It also meant that he had passed his initiation – had killed a homeless muggle man, like someone's crushes a cockroach. He was now a murderer. He felt bad about it, but he knew that in a war, these things sometimes were necessary. After all, he was the last male descendant of the Black family lineage - and he had become another noble vassal of the most powerful man in Britain, a man that on one day soon, Regulus was certain that would become the supreme governor of a completely new world.

The power that the Dark Lord had demonstrated to have was truly impressive, and Regulus was very confident that this side – my side, he thought proudly – would achieve victory, and for this to happen was just a question of time. Besides, he knew that fighting for restoring what he had learned since his childhood to be the 'natural order of the universe', was definitely the right thing to do. Muggles had not been blessed with the power of the Gods, and were worth less than most magical creatures – and as such, they should be treated. Muggle-borns were nothing but a cancerous cell that had contaminated the world and dared to affront this 'natural order of the universe', and therefore, like a weed should be removed from a flowery garden, Muggle-borns should be exterminated from the wizarding society.

Regulus was walking at a very quick pace while he crossed the Grimmauld Square, as he did not want to upset his mother by being late to supper. It was then that he was pulled to the floor by something – someone – who had been running diagonally to his direction. His books immediately felt off his hand and were all spread around the grass. Regulus was about to get this wand out his pocket when he noticed that his attacker was only a teenager muggle girl. Her papers and books also were spread on the grass.

"I'm _so_ sorry, it was my fault! I was so distracted by my appraisal that I didn't see you…"

"Your stupid mu… mundane problems are not of my concern." He managed to correct himself just before he managed to recognize her as the muggle girl who had dared to affront him at that horrible muggle hospital. She was wearing a light grey knitted jumper which just covered her pink ballet uniform. Her wild long hair was flying in the wind. She took a step back as trying to digest what that rude boy had just said until something clicked inside her and she realised who he was.

" _Thank God it is not!_ " She said in a similar cold tone that Regulus had used while she tried to gather her belongs together as quickly as possible. Regulus, on the other hand, stood up and did not move a finger to help her or to gather his own belongs. 

"And Thank God Lisa have stopped seeing that stupid, arrogant, arse of a brother you have! But I must say… as horrible as he is, you probably beat him, as you are undoubtedly the rudest!"

Regulus felt his blood pulse with anger before answering her.

"I'm the one who should be happy to know that my brother no longer associates with scum like yourself. Definitely the best news of the day! Maybe I should write to Sirius… he might not be such a lost cause as my family believe him to be after all."

"You think you are something special, don't you? Marching around wearing these clothes from the last century, so self-centred and conceited of your own sense of pride. Let me tell you what you really are: nothing! You are nothing more than an arrogant, rude little person, who is sadist enough to enjoy hurting other people's feeling and doesn't care about nothing but yourself!" She finished saying just as she stood up with her papers and books completely disorganized on her hands and quickly started to walk away from him.

"YOU ARE WRONG!" Regulus shouted in her direction. "YOU ARE WRONG! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME! I AM NOT SELFISH OR SADIST!"

She turned to face him again just as she shut the park square gate with loudly bang.

"YES, YOU ARE!" She shouted back before turning on her heels and dashed in the direction of her family home.

"No, I'm not!" Regulus whispered to himself. "And I'm definitely better than you!" – He said, and after verifying that the girl could no longer see or hear him and that nobody else was there, Regulus pointed his wand to the books casting the summoning charm. This made all the books gathered themselves together in a perfect organized pile – from the largest to the smallest – before they reached his hand.

 

"Regulus, would you mind stopping playing with your books? It is almost midnight, for Merlin's beard! We have class tomorrow, did you know that?"

"Since when were you worried about classes, Rowle?" Regulus replied impatiently while he carried on removing book after book from inside his school trunk.

He had already tried the Summoning Charm, and for the first time ever since he mastered it, nothing had happened. It was the evening of the first of September and Regulus was desperately trying to find the book that he was currently reading. It was a book full of dark curses and rituals that he had managed to steal from his family private library. After all, as Bellatrix had pointed out, now that he was going to be a Death Eater, he would need more than ever to educate himself on this subject, as Hogwarts failed to deliver to its students.

"Regulus, for Salazar's snakes, he is right! Why don't you get what you need and bugger off to your Head boy office and let us sleep?"

"Can't you see that's exactly what I'm trying to do?" Regulus replied his dorm-mate with frustration. "I'm sure I have packed that…"

Regulus then stopped to as noticing a book he had never seen before surrounded by dozens of others. The book had a hard green and silver cover where he could clearly read _'Animal Farm - A Fairy Story, by George Orwell'_. He opened the book and found a picture of twelve girls all wearing the same ballet suit – and the more astonishing is that the picture was not moving. Even though they all looked disturbingly similar he recognized his muggle neighbour immediately. Regulus then did the best he could to hide that book cover from his Slytherin classmates, and with a wave from his wand, all his books were magically organized into his bookshelf. Then without saying any other word he left their dorm with the muggle book safely kept under his arms. When he finally got there, Regulus was very glad to find a deserted Communal Room.

choosing his favourite chair near the fireplace, got the book with the intent to let it burn it. However, something he could not really explain what – stopped him from doing it. Muggle or not, that was still a book, and as such, Regulus believed it deserved some respect. He sighed, then got some fresh parchment, quill and ink to start writing a letter that he wished more than anything he did not need to write.

 

It was breakfast time at the residence of the White family when a white owl with yellow eyes invaded the dinner table and landed in front of Annabelle. The girl carried on talking to her Sister, and their father did not even raise his eyes from the newspaper while completely ignored the bird. After all, that was not the first owl to ever interrupt their family meal.

"Looks like Sirius needs something again!" Her brother said and tried to untighten the letter from the bird's leg. However, the hazel bird bit his hand and sat on top of the girl's breakfast to call her attention.

"Stupid Owl!" Her brother cursed while tried to cover the blood on his hand. "Why are you not letting me get my letter?"

The owl just stared at him with a deadly look as if it was daring him to get closer.

"Stop Alfie!" Helen shouted at her brother. "The letter is for Anna, can't you see it?"  
Alfred looked curiously at the Twin who the letter was clearly for.

"For me? What would Sirius want with me? I hope it is nothing to do with Lisa because after what he did, I think…"

"Don't open it, Anna! I bet this have got a trick or something…"

"Oh Helen, come on! He wouldn't do such a thing… we all have grown from it, right?"  
The owl started to get impatient and flapped its wings widely on their table.

"Just open, Anna. And the owl will stop making this fuss." Alfred told her seriously.  
Annabelle finally freed the owl from the small parcel with trembling hands. There was a letter attached to it, and she decided to open it first.

**"I'm sending your book back, and I would appreciate if you returned mine.**

**R.A.B.**

**PS – Try not to touch my book more than necessary, it is a very old and rare edition and it would be a shame if it gets contaminated."**

She growled furiously and shredded the letter in a million pieces while ruminating something that sounded like _'stupid jerk'._

"Darling, can you please get this bird out of the dinner table? I hate having feathers with my eggs." Their mother said after helping herself to some more tea.

"Just go away! Tell your owner that this does not deserve an answer!" Annabelle said pointing at the shredded letter, but the owl did not move.

"This not going to work Anna. The owl will only go after you give it have a proper answer…" Alfred said amused.

"Fine!" And she stood up and moved her arm inviting the owl to lay there as she had seen her brother doing many times before.

"I wonder what did Sirius said that made you so angry?"

"Oh, it wasn't from Sirius. It is from his stupid brother!" She answered her own brother just before she started climbing on the stairs towards her room. "So he demands an answer, right? I'm going to give him one!"

 

It was dinner time when Regulus received the answer at the evening owl post. He was very relieved when he saw that she brought a very well wrapped book with her. For a moment he had feared that the muggle would fail to understand his messages, or that she would not want to send it back for any other reason. However, once he opened the package, a storm of pink glitter invaded the area of the Slytherin table where Regulus was sitting. Underneath the glitter was a book that Regulus did not recognise, but it said _"How to Behave and Why"_ , which was clearly a muggle book – and worse, a Muggle children's book – which seemed to teach good manners for children.

Regulus tried in vain to cover the cover of the book while people from all the four houses seemed to laugh of him.

"Your brother excelled himself this time! What have you done to him?" Asked a girl from his year that was sitting opposite to him.

Regulus ignored her and cleared the mess on his robes and on the table with a wave from his wand before head off to the library. The only good thing was that his brother being whom he was: nobody else would doubt or question who this letter was really from. He was impressed by how that muggle had managed to pull out that prank on him, but at the same time, he was livid. She still had the book. And it was not any book, but a special book that Bella had lent him after she made him swear to be really careful with it – as according to her the book had once been read by the Dark Lord himself. He could not let Bellatrix dream about where the book was.

He needed to recover that book sooner than later. There was no way he would wait until Christmas break to get the book back. Regulus thought about asking Kreacher, but there would always be a risk that the elf would end up telling everything to his mother – no, he could not let her dream about it! There was no way around it, he would need to go there in person. Perhaps he should wait a couple of nights – maybe he should wait until the night he was supposed to patrol the school grounds, as he knew that he would need to leave Hogwarts and come back without anyone notice.

The good thing was that he already had passed his Apparition test, which meant that once he was outside the property, it wouldn't be hard for him to go to her house and hopefully, recover the book in a blink of an eye. The fact that his parents home was not far from the White's residence was a bonus, as the Ministry probably would not suspect anything if they noticed that magic was used in that area.

When that evening had finally arrived, Regulus was very glad to see how easy it had been to leave Hogwarts unnoticed. As that was a muggle house, it lacked Anti-Apparation wards, and Regulus successfully managed to apparate in the basement of the house. The first part of his plan had worked better than he previously imagined, as there was nobody there to witness his entrance who would need to be obliviated. Regulus checked his pocket watch which informed him that it was almost midnight.

Now all he had to do was to find the muggle girl's bedroom and use the Summoning Charm to recover the book and go back to Hogsmeade as quickly as possible. Even though he could simply Summon the book where he was, he thought that it was better not to risk any the muggles to seeing a flying book if he could avoid it. After all, even though he knew the theory very well, Obliviation was one of these spells that he had never performed before. As drastic consequences could happen if badly performed, he would rather not the risk, unless it was extremely necessary.

After casting silence charms on himself, Regulus walked up the stairs to the first floor: the first room that Regulus entered was an office, the second was a bathroom, the third was clearly an empty guest bedroom, but the first room on the second floor was clearly hers, it was decorated with ballerinas' pictures and dolls. It was much messier than he anticipated it to be, as pieces of clothing were lying around on the floor and furniture. He grabbed his wand and was about to say the incantation when she entered through a door that he did not notice to be there before. Her hair was wet, and she was covering herself with nothing but a bathing towel. Her eyes opened wide in fear, and before she could shout, he used his wand – which was already at his hands – to cast a Silence Charm.

Annabelle screamed but nothing came out. She walked backwards and end up tripping at one of her own clothes and she felt on the floor, causing the towel slipped from her body leaving her torso uncovered. She was shaking and squirming as if she knew that the time of her death was near. She looked at Regulus as a rabbit who will soon end up at the hands of an executioner wolf. Regulus felt disgusted by the thought that he was the cause of her suffering. Despite the fact that he had never seen a naked young woman before, he could not help but feel aroused by the sight of her breasts. He made a spell to conceal the noise inside this room to the rest of the house, and slowly approached her.

"I swear, I mean no harm to you. I'm sorry that I invaded your room, but…" He said feeling very embarrassed for the suffering he was clearly causing her.

Regulus tried to get closer at the same time he was trying to avoid looking at her. He never thought that he would feel so bad for causing harm to a muggle. After all, he was a Death Eater, for Merlin's beard! He had even killed a Muggle man once. Why was he feeling so bad? Their eyes meet, and hers were filled with fear. Even though she had stopped trying to scream – as she realised it was useless – her breathing was extremely fast, as well were her heart beats.

"I'm so sorry, I should not be here. Please, just cover yourself!" He pointed to her towel, and she looked surprised, as she had just noticed that her naked body exposed. After recovering some of her dignity, still trembling she opened her mount to say something, but no sound came out. Noticing that, Regulus quickly extinguished the silencing charm he had previously cast. She started to cry and Regulus helped her stand up. They remained quiet until she felt safe enough to talk.

"Wh- what do-do you want fr-from me?" She stuttered after her voice was restored.

"Shhh, it is ok. I'm not going to do anything bad with you. I promise. I'm only here because of my book."

"Is it… is it real then?"

"Real…?" Regulus asked confused.

"What is on that horrible book." She told him looking like she was going to faint at any moment. "Unicorn blood, murdering people to turn them into zombies, soulmate reincarnation bounding, resuscitation rituals, bounding someone's soul to matter…"

"You shouldn't have touched it! I told you not to do it!" He started angrily, but this made her contract with fear. Regulus took a deep breath to calm himself down before carrying on talking in a more civilized manner. "Please, calm down! I'm not going to harm you."

"It is real isn't? Like you did removing my voice… you could also… k-kill m-me a-and tu-turn me in-to… some monster."

"You mean an Inferi?" He said trying to remember the chapters he had already read. "I told you I don't mean harm, didn't I? Is it so hard for your muggle brain to understand that!? You should forget what you read."

"It is real." She covered her mouth in shock. "You are saying that you don't intend doing it to me now… but you have the power to do it. Am I right?"

"I'm a wizard if that is what you are asking."

"A… wizard?"

"Yes. I'm a wizard, which means I can do magic. You are a muggle, which means you cannot."

There was a pregnant silence between them, however at the same time they were uncomfortably close while gazing into each other's eyes. Until something finally clicked in Annabelle's head, making the young woman take a step back.

"So that's why you think you are better than everybody else, isn't? You think you are better because you can do all these vile things written in that horrible book!" She said in an accusatory tone.

"Not all magic is dark!" He said defensively "Actually, dark magic is a very small fraction from all the things we can do."

"It doesn't matter! You were reading that book, which means that you wanted to do those things! Being able to rip out your soul in half to become immortal by doing cold blood murder doesn't make you better than anyone! Actually, it's kind makes you the opposite of superior…" She said full of anger, without any trace of fear in her voice.

Regulus glared at her annoyed with her petulance. She had read about various morbid things that he could do, and yet she confronted him. Where had I gone all that fear that he had previously seen? And who she thought she was to give him moral lessons that way?

"You don't know anything about me, or what I did and what I'm capable of!"

"'Oh, I thought you didn't mean harm to me? Oh well, silly me believing on the words of someone who is clearly so…"

But Regulus never knew what she thought he was, as his book had flown to his hand after he quickly summoned it. The surprise of seeing the book flying from her shelf was enough to shut her up.

"I'm don't know why I am still here! You are just a muggle – a nobody. Your opinion is worthless to me!"

Feeling furious, she marched to her bookshelf and grabbed another book that he quickly recognized.

"Take that with you!" She told him and threw the book towards his face, which thankfully from his Seeker's reflexes he was able to catch and avoid being hit by it. 

"Because I don't want to have anything that has been contaminated by you!"

"What am I going to do with a muggle book?"

"Maybe you might learn something! Now get out of my house!"

"With pleasure!" He said just before he disapparated in front of her bare eyes.

Once back in the same spot he had previously used to apparate to her place, Regulus realise he had forgotten to Obliviate her. However, he didn't want to go back. "She won't say anything. And if she does, nobody will believe her", he told himself before starting to walk back to the school grounds.

It didn't take him long to be back on his empty Communal Room. As a treat to his successful mission of leaving and returning school without been seen, Regulus decided that besides the late time, he wanted to reward himself by reading some pages – maybe even a chapter – of his book. However, when he removed the book from his pocket, it was the one that had once belonged to the muggle woman that he grabbed. He looked at it for a moment, and the curiosity won the battle. He opened it to the first page and started to read it.

 

**"Dear Miss White,**

**I hope this letter finds you well. Firstly, I'm sorry for invading your room yesterday night. I really had no right to do so.**

**I'm writing to you to tell you, that curiosity got the best of me once I was back at my school last night. I started reading the book that you gave me, and despite all my preconceptions at muggles and your society, I must admit that I have found the book extremely stimulating. I believe that it might have opened my eyes to some of my actions towards you. I had no right to assume that I was any better than you just because I was born being able to do magic and you did not. I was rude. I was selfish and blind. I want to thank you for giving me this book, as from now on I think I will think twice before judging a book by its cover.**

**I sincerely hope you can find in your heart to forgive me, as I apologise from my behaviour – and I don't mean for only last night, but for all our past casual encounters, as I feel I've been behaving pretty much like a 'pig'.**

**Yours Sincerely,**

**R.A.B."**

_"Dear Mr Black,_

_I'm glad to know that you might have learned something. Of course, I can forgive you – as a wise man once said, forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Seeing you admitting some of your mistakes is enough for me._

_As a gesture of peace, I'm sending with your owl another book that you might also enjoy, as it is from the same author and deals with similar themes. In fact, I like this one I'm sending you now much more than the one you already read._

_Let me know if you like it._

_Your Sincerely,_

_A.W."_

_"Dear Miss White,_

_Thank you very much for sending me the book '1984'. It was another page-turner. The way that 'Big brother' control the society… reminds me of some of the things that wizards do from time to time in order to hide magic from non-magic people like you. It also makes me wonder if similar techniques may be used by the people in power to control my own society. I assure you that they would certainly be able to verify 'thought crime' in a much more refined way._

_It was sad to see the fate of Winston and Julia. Even though I must admit that I'm not used to reading romances, I enjoyed this one. As a gesture of peace, I'm also sending you a famous wizarding drama, called 'The Warlock's Hairy Heart'. I hope you find it entertaining as I did find your books._

_R.A.B."_

__"Dear Mr Black,_ _

__Your letter left me curious: how do your people interfere with our lives? I'm asking it almost scared of your answer, and I hope it is nothing half as morbid as the things I saw written on that book. And which magic could you use to control thought crime?  
The closest thing I can remember from that book was the Imperious curse… but for which I could understand that one as more about controlling someone's body rather than someone mind… please correct me if I'm wrong._ _

__About the Warlock's Hairy Heart, it was indeed a page-turner. It was a sad fate of the wizard and the maiden. Is your heart inside your chest Regulus, or are you keeping it inside a box somewhere?_ _

__Kind Regards,_ _

__A.W."_ _

_**"Dear Miss White,** _

_**The magic world – my world – does, in fact, interfere with your world. However, it is mostly in order to hide our existence from the non-magical people. Sometimes, also to protect your people form some magical creatures for example. The majority of this involves mass and individual memory charms. Strictly speaking, I'm breaking the law by telling you these things, and a Ministry official could legally Obliviate you – to remove this knowledge from your memory.** _

_**You are right and wrong about the Imperious Curse. It controls your body but it also controls your mind to some extent. It makes the person under it to want to be controlled. However, I had in mind something more grey like Legilimency – a fine art of perceiving what other people are thinking. I've been trying to learn it as well as Occlumency (mind protection), but I didn't have many successful attempts so far.** _

_**And no, we obviously can't live without a heart; that story was an anecdote of what can happen to someone who rips their soul by making a Horcrux. You can become quite a monster when you live without your soul. Or at least that is what I have been told.** _

_**I hope this letter finds you well,** _

_**Yours Sincerely,** _

_**R.A.B."** _

__"Dear Mr R. Black,_ _

__Please call me Anna; as weird as it seems, just I realised I don't know your first name. What does 'R' stands for?_ _

__Why do your people want to hide from us so badly? Couldn't we all live in peace together? And I certainly don't want to be Obliviated! I asked my brother if Sirius had told him anything about Wizarding World and he just looked funny at me, as I had lost my mind. This made me almost doubt if what I saw you doing the other day had actually happened._ _

__Anyway, who would believe me if I told that somewhere in the world there are Magic people who can do terrible things with a magical stick? Yeah… they would certainly think that I had bumped my head really hard somewhere. In fact, if it wasn't this lovely owl yours coming here every other day to remind me, carrying this old looking parchment, I probably would start thinking I was dreaming._ _

__Thank you for breaking the law to answer my silly 'muggle' questions, Mr. 'R.'_ _

__Kind Regards,_ _

__Annabelle White"_ _

_**"Dear Anna,** _

_**My name is Regulus. I was named after a star – long-story-short is a family tradition. I can't believe I'm telling you this, but it feels nice to be on the first name bases with you. If anyone had told me a few weeks ago that I would be excited about exchanging letters with a muggle, I would tell they probably got hit by too many bludgers on the head.** _

_**But despite all the things I've been told about muggles, you carry on surprising me by your charming wit. Please, don't judge me by this, but I was raised with the belief that all muggles were barbaric and stupid as a doorknob. You are showing me that this is not the case… or at least, you certainly seem to be an exception to the rule.** _

_**I'm not entirely sure why muggles and wizards don't interact. I always assumed it had something to do with low intellect, but now I believe that this might not be the real case. What I know is that on ancient days, wizards and muggles used to interact much more. Nowadays, wizards who chose to fraternise with Muggles are considered to be an outcast in our society. I promise I'm going to read a little bit more about this as soon as I can, in order to address your question properly.** _

_**And please, believe me when I say that not all magic is bad like the ones you read in that book. I'm sending you another tale, this time the extended version of The Fountain of Fair Fortune.** _

_**Kind Regards,** _

_**Regulus Black** _

_**PS – Don't mention about the things we talk about to your brother. Please, don't tell anyone about magic! I'm really breaking the law, and I really don't want to risk you being Obliviated!"** _

__"Dear Regulus,_ _

__I think I can relate a little bit of how you might be feeling for carrying on talking to me 'despite me being a muggle'. I must say that I'm also impressed by how I decided to carry on writing to you despite how poorly you have treated me before. Yes, I know I have forgiven you, but forgiving doesn't necessarily mean forgetting. However, I think that at least now I understand better where you came from. Besides, I guess, I have found you too interesting to ignore._ _

__That said, I really enjoyed reading the fountain of fair fortune. Maybe it is because I like that in the end that fountain wasn't magic. Is the real magic similar to the one showed in those stories? Did they really happened or are they just a fairy tale?  
I'm sending your book back. Let's not risk anyone else here to find about it, right? I really want to keep all my memories._ _

__Yours Sincerely,_ _

__Anna"_ _

_**"Dear Anna,** _

_**I hope you are well. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Sorry for the delay in my reply. I have been very busy lately with my duty as Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, but I got some little reading done about Wizard and Muggle relations. Here a quote from some of the things that I found out:** _

_**"Before the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was established in 1692, wizards were not obliged to hide from Muggles. Wizard-muggle relations had started to decay during the early fourteenth century, as many witches and wizards were sentenced to death under the charges of witchcraft. However, it wasn't always like that. During the ancient times, muggles and wizards used to live in complete harmony, helping each other out through a variety of mutually beneficial agreements..."** _

_**There are also lots of historical examples of successful and disastrous interactions between witches and muggles throughout history. I will gladly go over some of my favourite ones with you when we finally meet up again. Meanwhile, would you mind sending me another muggle novel that you find interesting? I really enjoyed the other two you sent me. Another thing is that I would love to learn more things about you.  
Tell me more about your family and what do you like to do in your free time.** _

_**Looking forward to receiving another letter from you,** _

_**Best regards,** _

_**Reggie"** _

Annabel and Regulus carried on exchanging daily letters during the entire Autumn term. Regulus academic performance suffered a slight decline, as he started to spend more time reading Muggle novels than researching for citations for his Transfiguration essay. But Regulus did not mind it too much, as very often the highlight of his days were when his personal owl would find him during Breakfast time with news from his pretty muggle penpal. He loved the trill that he got from writing and receiving letters from her - he knew that he was doomed to face a horrible punishment if any of his fellows’ Death Eaters dreamed about what he was doing. Regulus didn't notice then, but at that moment, he had already lost himself to her. 


	5. Fifth Lesson: You cannot control where your heart lies

t was the last Hogsmeade weekend before Hogwarts broke for the winter holidays. Regulus was at the Three Broomsticks meeting with Severus Snape, who was supposed to give him some information about his next Death Eater mission.

"He is very pleased with some of your new recruits for the cause, Regulus. In particular with Barty Crouch Jr. A very good find was what he said..." Snape said in a whisper, despite they been protected by privacy charms, they could never be too careful when expressing their support for the Dark Lord in public.

"I'm very glad to hear that," Regulus said having some of his drink. "It wasn't very hard to bring him to the cause, he was very eager to join us. It is going to be an honour for me to be there when he receives his mark..."

Regulus then noticed that Severus attention had completely gone to a red-haired woman who had just entered the pub with one of her female friends. Regulus recognised her immediately. Lily Evans, last years' Head Girl. She was popular, charming, pretty and talented. She would be a tremendously good witch on anyone's standards if it wasn't for the fact that she was actually a mudblood. Severus stood up, and Regulus was observing everything intrigued, certainly that his friend was fighting an internal battle about going or not going after her. In the end, James Potter and Sirius Black also entered the pub and sat down next to the two ladies, leaving Severus clutching both of his fists in anger. Snape sat down without saying anything.

"You like her," Regulus said giving Severus a known smirk.

"What sort of nonsense are you talking about, Black?" Severus asked giving him a mortal glare. The use of his surname didn't go unnoticed by Regulus, who gave him a wider smile.

"You like Evans. The mudblood..."

"Don't. you. ever. call. her. that." Severus said pointing his wand to Regulus face. "Do you understand, Black?"

"Wow! I guess that must be true love" Regulus said raising both his hands in a clear sign for peace, not letting the silly smirk to leave his face.

"I'm not in the mood for your Black sense of humour..." Snape glared at him.

"Don't worry, Severus. Your secret is safe with me. Obviously, like everything else, my silence has a price - just know that you owe me a favour, all right?" Regulus said with a grim.

Regulus could feel Severus multiple attempts to invade his mind, just to get blocked once after another.

"You have been practising..." Severus said begrudgingly. "What a shame."

"Indeed," Regulus said suppressing another smirk "Evans is a great witch... not surprising that you feel attracted to her. However, I can see that you are not the only one who feels that way about her." Regulus said observing how James Potter placed his arms around Lily Evan's waist.

"Do you have a death wish, Black? If you don't, I suggest that you stop talking about her, right now!"

Regulus knew that if looks could kill, he would have died at that instance, no doubt.

"Understood." He said solemnly. "Let's talk about what brought you here. Tell me about the mission..."

Regulus went back to London to spend his Hogwarts winter-break with his family, but also to join the Dark Lord's ranks in a couple of missions that they had planned for that merry festive session. He had just witnessed Barty Crouch Jr among others Hogwarts students that Regulus had selected to receive their dark mark and join Voldemort's ranks.

The problem was that Regulus didn't feel the sense of pride while he was watching it as he thought he was hoping he would be feeling. In fact, he felt sick. He felt like he had done something extremely wrong and had condemned their souls to a cursed life of murder, torture, death and fear. He left the Lestrange Manor, with a sense of sorrow that he did not foresee that he would end up feeling that evening. It was like he needed a break from everything. He felt like he needed that warmth he got every time he received one of Anna's letters. He needed her. His muggle - his Anna.

Without thinking twice he went to the place that he had previously been told that she was going to be that evening, hoping with all his soul that she was still there. It was easy for him to get inside the Sadler's Wells Theatre without raising suspicion.

After confounding the doorman he walked straight in and sat down at the complete empty seats reserved for the audience. He quickly spotted Annabel, who was the only ballerina at the stage. She was rehearsing for her solo as Odile, also known as the Black Swan. She obviously had already told him all about the story behind that particular ballet and had explained to him about all the different pieces that she was going to perform. Regulus sat down, mesmerised by her dancing as if she was a veela.

"Annabel, stop!" a woman said after she stopped playing the music. "You are too rigid! Where is your black swan emotion? When it comes to the white swan, you are absolutely marvellous. You have the grace, the innocence. But your black swan still requires lots of work..."

Regulus who was the only other person present at the theatre gave a mortal glare to the old woman. He really wanted to give her a piece of a truly 'Black emotion', but he decided to remain quiet and carried on to watch them doing their work.

"I think that is enough for today, Miss White. Please try to evoke or inner Odile during this Christmas break. I trust that you will capable of it, otherwise, I would not have chosen you for the role..."

"Thank you, Miss Lane, I swear that I'm not going to disappoint you." She said giving her a small courtesy before she left the stage.

Regulus discreetly followed her into the girls changing room. When he entered she had already removed her black tutu and was silently crying in front of the mirror while she removed her makeup. She didn't notice his presence in the room. Regulus felt a sudden urge to hug her. She looked like an angel, and he wanted more than anything to carry her on his arms and give her comfort. She only noticed his presence when he was just behind her, almost touching her shoulders.

"Regulus!" she said opening her eyes wide in shock. "How did you come in...?"

"Magic!" he said smirking at her. Then he grabbed one of her hands and brought it to his lips and gave it a small kiss on its back like his mother had taught him as being an appropriate way to greet witches from traditional families. Annabel blushed.

"I wished you had told me you were coming instead of... just appearing like... magic..."

"I... did not plan to come in... I just needed to see you tonight. But I can go away if you think that I am being inconvenient..."

"No!" she had a sense of urgency in her voice "I mean... please stay. I wanted to see you too. For a long time." She said wiping her tears away. "Do you always dress up like that?"

"What do you mean?" Regulus asked feeling a bit confused.

"Like you have just run away from a film set which is filming a store from the last century…"

"This is how my people dress up," He informed her before he observed her black bodysuit "and I'm sure that in my society, this weird thing that you are wearing would be considered extremely inappropriate for a lady to wear in a presence of a man…"

"Well, fortunately, I'm by no means wearing inappropriate clothing for my people standards, despite the fact that you just invaded the girl's changing room. Which, remind me, please, turn around"

"Turn around?" Regulus asked confused.

"Yes. So I can get dressed in my normal clothes."

"Oh, right..." Regulus turned to a small window and tried to make some conversation to help him to ignore the fact that there was a pretty, intelligent, marvellous girl getting naked just behind him. "So... I hear that you need to evoke your inner black side... maybe I can help you with that..."

"Maybe you are the only one who can... Black is your name after all, right?"

"And you are Miss White... my white swan..."

"Who also needs to learn how to become a black swan... so, if you have any ideas how I can do that... please, enlighten me,"

"Well, I don't... although I must say that black colour does suit you. Maybe we could brainstorm something together if you come down on a walk with me..."

"A midnight walk with a dark sorcerer... that sounds like a very dangerous idea."

"Extremely dangerous... but I promise you on my wizard honour that you will be safe by my side."

"Good thing that I like to take risks... you can turn around now."

And so he did. For once her hair was loose, falling down up to the length of her breasts. She was wearing a winter dress that accentuated her body shape very nicely. Regulus felt suddenly very nervous, and he didn't know exactly why he felt that way. He told himself that this was because he was afraid that someone else would see them together. However, despite that fear, he knew that there was nowhere else in the world that he rather be at that moment.

"Where would you like to go, Annabelle?"

"I don't know... I don't really have curfew time to be back home tonight, so... the sky is the limit."

Regulus gave her a smirk after hearing the last part of her phrase.

"How would you feel about flying on a broomstick?"

Regulus was very excited to take his muggle for a broom ride. He knew that he was broken a million rules on doing that, and there would be no Ministry of Magic norBlack family or Death Eaters that would come to his rescue if he got caught doing that. For a once in a lifetime he had been completely reckless. But just the look of awe and amazement on Annabelle's face seemed to be good enough payment for the risk he knew he was taken. He landed on the top of Tower Bridge, protected by the pry eyes of muggles and wizards alike with a disillusionment charm placed by Regulus.

"I never knew that magic could be so amazing. Thank you so much for taking me here..."

"My pleasure. You haven't seen anything yet..."

They went silent for a moment, she was looking at the sights like she wanted to take everything in, to never forget. Regulus attention, however, was totally focused on her.

"This view is stunning, Regulus. Do you always take your female friends up here?"

She turned to face him with a sly look in her eyes.

"No. Only the very special ones..." he answered giving her a genuine smile for the very first time.

"You should smile more often, you know? You have an amazing smile..."

Regulus felt his stomach flip and his face burn. He did not know what was happening to him. She was only a muggle... he should not be feeling so vulnerable near her.

"I don't think I had many reasons for smile lately..."

"Why is that? What is so gloomy in Magical Britain?"

"Honestly? Everything," he answered with a sigh. "there is a war about to erupt, and I'm nothing more than a soldier... and I don't even know what I am fighting for anymore."

"So why do you carry on fighting? Can't you just leave?"

"Because... it is complicated. It is not like I'm allowed to just quit. Be a Death Eater is a lifelong commitment. If I quit, he would kill me."

"Who is he?"

"The Dark Lord..."

"The Dark Lord?"

"Yes... nobody should say his name..."

"Why not?"

"Because it's a taboo. You just can't say it." Regulus said in the middle of a sigh. He felt frustrated. He wanted… needed her to understand.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders you know? The Dark Lord missions, the Slytherin Quidditch team, my Head boy duties, studying for my NEWTs. But the worse is the weight of having the mission of marrying a pure-blood witch that will give me heirs to carry the Black family name... I fear that my family might collapse if I fail to do this last one..."

"Why is that so important?"

"Because... it is what my family expects me to do. The Blac family is very powerful, ancient and traditional in the wizarding world, Anna..." He looked at her feeling helpless. He did not know if she had really understood the weight of being the last non-disowned male Black heir, but somehow, he wanted her to understand it.

"Is that what you want to do?" she asked him feeling curious. She was looking deep into his eyes. They were so close that Regulus could almost count all the freckles she had on her cheeks.

"No. I want... I want to kiss you..."

He was caught by surprise by his own honesty. However, he was even more surprised when he noticed that she had closed her eyes and was bringing her lips next to his, making it an extremely irresistible invitation for him to avoid for much longer. Regulus held her head with his hands and started to kiss her slowly, savouring every single second of that new experience to him. Despite having many girls who pleaded for his attention, he had never kissed a girl before. He felt her own hands grabbing his hair in a possessive way, and it was then that he knew he was doomed.


	6. Sixth Lesson: Love forgive all things

Regulus and Severus were leading a team of young Death Eaters to a mass murder mission in a busy Department Store located in the heart of London. The mission was one of the series of attacks that their Lord had planned for that cold Christmas Eve. They were supposed to kill as many muggles they could, collect their bodies and run away before the Ministry officials or the Order nosey members arrived. The rumour was that the Dark Lord was planning to form an Inferius Army with these bodies, and what a better place to find crowds of Muggles than inside busy stores where muggles were doing their last minute Christmas shopping? There were seven attacks happening simultaneously in London. At that particular one, Regulus was the responsible for collecting the bodies from the carnage left behind by placing them inside an extendable trunk, while Severus was there ensuring that every new recruit would be out there killing as many muggles as possible.

Regulus was really glad that he was not the one doing the carnage killing that day, as his stomach as turning over just with the sight of the whole thing. Every time he saw a woman that was about Annabelle's age, his chest would ache in pain until he confirmed that it wasn't her body that he was putting inside his trunk. He knew that she was perfectly safe inside her parents' house that evening. She had told him about her plans for her Christmas Eve during their previous night. But he could not help but wonder... what if? What if she had suddenly remembered the last minute present and decided to go out to that very same shop, or to any of the others their Lord had chosen as a target? What if?

It was when he spotted a young teenager girl hiding under the counter. Her hair was the same shade of Anna's, but much shorter. He noticed that she was with child. He looked deep inside her pleading eyes before he raised his own wand straight to her face and did cast a silent privacy spell that would make it harder for the other Death Eaters to notice her presence. However, he looked behind and saw Snape observing him with an interesting expression on his face. Severus approached him and said.

"We should pack up and leave. We've been here for more than five minutes... the Ministry officials could be coming soon..."

"I agree," Regulus nodded, "I believe we have more than enough here..." he informed his friend as he pointed to his school trunk. Both young man then ordered the Death Eaters under their command to stop the carnage and help them out to collect the bodies. They left the store in a complete success, collecting eighty-three bodies with them before any Ministry official had arrived.

Regulus had to use all his Slytherin politics training and Occlumency skills to hide his true feelings about the mission when he presented the Dark Lord with a case full of dead bodies. He felt happy that he wasn't requested to stay much longer, as were others groups who had failed in their mission as the Ministry officials had chosen to drop by on their store a little bit earlier. Regulus left the Lestrange Manor feeling extremely sick after having witnessed some Death Eaters been tortured with the Cruciatus Curse.

The heavy and cold rain was falling from the sky when Regulus apparated back to his childhood neighbourhood, but he didn't lift a single finger to protect himself from the rain. His heart was beating fast, and his mind was full of racing thoughts about Annabelle White. He looked like a wet dog, running down the pouring rain, but Regulus couldn't care less. He had to see her. He had to know if Anna was all right. If his Anna was all right.

He then started to cry ashamed of the things that he had been doing as a Death Eater. What would she say if she knew the things that he had done? Would she still be willing to stay with him if she knew about all Muggles he had helped to kill that evening? Because even though he had not done any killing that night, he still had aided the group. He was the one who shoved their lifeless bodies inside his old trunk as if they were nothing but a bunch of dead animals. And he had killed before. And he had also tortured. He had done things just because he had previously believed that wizards were superior to muggles. Oh, the irony! Now he felt dirty… contaminated, undeserving of both her love and forgiveness.

His feet took him to the doorstep of her house. And with the aid of his magic, helped himself to her bedroom once again. To his relief, she was there, safe and sound. But verifying that she still lived, did not make him feel much better. She was sitting down in an armchair reading a book that he recognised as one of those she had previously lent to him - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

She immediately noticed his arrival as well as the terrible state that he was in. Not that it was hard for anyone to notice that he looked like he had just decided to have a friendly brawl with the giant squid and lost. He left himself fall on the floor, and he covered his face in a kneeling position. She immediately let her book slip from her fingers and stood up to better aid him. Only there she noticed that he was sobbing.

"Reggie… Regulus…? Are you all right? What happened, my love?" Annabelle said kneeling next to him, stroking his hair.

There were a long few minutes where he did nothing but cry on her arms. She embraced him, harbouring him as if he was a child. It took a while until he calmed himself down enough to be able to express himself in words once again.

"I… I don't deserve you…" his hands were shaking "you are… so good, so pure, an angel… and I… I'm a monster"

"Shhhh, Regulus, you are not a monster…" She said bringing his head near to her chest. "You had a disturbed conception of the world and some strong disturbing values, but you have grown out of them now…"

"Anna… you don't know what I have done tonight. Have you heard the news? They must have reached even the muggle press by now. So many muggles died this afternoon, Anna… and I didn't do anything to stop it."

"What have you done Regulus…?" her eyes were wide open with this new revelation.

"The Dark Lord ordered us... to perform a series of attacks tonight across the city…"

"Attacks?"

"Yes… the word has that he wants to build an Inferius army, so he needs..."

"The bodies." Annabelle completed his sentence for him. She remembered reading about Inferius on the first book that Regulus had unintentionally swapped with her. "Gosh, Reggie! How many died?"

"In total, it was almost five hundred bodies. The team that I helped to lead killed eighty-three non-magical people in total," he said avoiding looking her in the eyes. She raised both of her hands to cover her mount which she had opened widely in total shock. It took her a while before she could recompose herself and ask.

"What... what does he need that for?" she asked him unsure if she really wanted to learn the answer to her question.

"I have no idea, but I'm sure it is unlikely to be a good thing." he declared as he moved away from her "I'm embarrassed to have ever believed for a second that following his footsteps was the right thing to do. I'm so... ashamed of my own actions, Anna. I am not asking for forgiveness... I don't deserve it. I just wish there was a way out of this cursed Death Eater's life!"

But for his surprise, she walked to the spot where he was now standing and hugged him tightly and kissed his forehead tenderly.

"Your actions weren't noble Regulus, that is for sure. But I'm here for you, I will help you come out of this cursed life."

"What did I do to deserve you, my Anna? I love you dearly... more than I have ever loved anything. And that is exactly why I will never be able to find a way out from my Death Eater duties..."

"There is always a way out, Reggie. We only need to find where it is..."

"No, Anna. Believe me, there is not a way out. Not for me, anyway. Can't you see it?" he said showing her his dark mark on his left wrist. "He has marked me. If I try to run away, he will know where I am hiding. If he dreams that I betrayed him, he will do worse than killing me..."

"And what can be worse than that?"

"He would find out my weakness... you. Then he would torture you, and kill you slowly in front of me... just so he could break me. I've seen this happening before. A couple of times now. He likes... to forecast what happens to those who fail him. To make an example out of it."

"Regulus... you are not a monster, he is!" she said hugging him with all her might. "

"He is... it is a shame that I only figured that out when it was too late." he brought their foreheads together. His wet clothes had completely soaked her pyjamas, making them almost transparent.

"It is never too late," she said bringing him closer and kissing him passionately.

He was taken by surprise but quickly answered her by kissing her back with the same intensity. Their hands travelled eagerly exploring each other's bodies for the very first time. Annabel started to free him from his wet cloak by removing it with hasty and throwing it somewhere on her bedroom floor. He pressed her against the wall and before Regulus realised what they were about to do, he noticed that he was already not wearing any shirt... and she was wearing nothing but her undergarments.

"Anna… this is this is escalating too quickly" he was pressing her body against her wardrobe. One of her legs was hugging his waist.

"I know…" her hands were playing with his long black hair and he left a moan escaped from his lips when she started to give small bites around his neck.

"We should stop…" he said more for himself than to her.

"Why?"

"Because if we don't I'm not going to be able to control myself…"

"I don't want you to control yourself, Black. I want you to take me to my bed and make me yours."

That was everything he needed to hear to carry her on his arms ina bridal style and start walking to her bed.

"Reggie…"

"What?" He asked, silently praying for the Gods that she had not changed her mind.

"Please, be nice? This is my first time…" she said shyly.

He answered her with a big smile.

"I promise that I will try my best to do it nicely, though… I must warn you. This is also my first time, and I'm not sure what I am doing..."

She smiled back at him.

"Well, I'm sure we can figure it out…"

*******************

 

Regulus did barely manage to get any sleep that night. He remained most of the time awake, guarding the rest of the muggle angel who was deeply sleeping in his arms. If someone had told him where he would be now six months ago, he would have thought that whoever insinuated that had probably been beaten by too many bludgers on their head. But now that he was there, he could not even fathom to imagine to be anywhere else, with anybody else. He had fallen hard for the White girl. That much was clear, and now he knew that there was no way that he would be able to conform himself to accept a life without his Annabelle by his side. The implications for that were tremendously huge, and he was very aware of it.

There was no way that he would be able to make his family to accept her as Black. There was no way that any he would find support to this union within his family or inside the Death Eater's group. Muggle-born was already despised by them, but a full muggle? He would be mocked by the whole crew. And even if he ignored it, the only way out to not receive any retaliation would be if Voldemort himself gave his own blessing to the union - this was the only way that he would get everyone else to be obliged to accept her as his wife. That was the only reasonable way out. He would need to gain the Dark Lord favours if he wanted to be able to fully live his love story with Anna.

He thought about what his older brother would say if he knew about the epic mess that Regulus had got himself into. Sirius would probably have a good laugh about it and give him a tap on his shoulders to congratulate him for disgracing the honour of the Black family more than he ever did. But Regulus could not understand how something as pure as the feeling he had for the muggle girl on his arms, could be something seen with so much hate by his family and peers. Nonetheless, Regulus had made up his mind about it, and he was not the kind to take this kind of action lightly. He held the silver bracelet with a hidden crest of the Black family in it - a betrothment confirmation, specially designed for his future wife.

"Are you really asking me what I think you are, Regulus?" Annabel gasped. Her eyes were wide opened, caught by surprise from the unexpected question.

She and Regulus were still laying down on her bed, where he was hugging her from behind. Regulus had casually asked her what were her thoughts on becoming Annabelle Black, instead of White.

"You have bewitched me body and soul. I love you, I love you, I love you. And wish from this day forth never to be parted from you." Regulus said bringing her face closer to his.

"You are saying…"

"I'm saying that I know that I have got a cursed soul, and I'm unworthy of your love and affection, but nothing would make me happier, than being able to call you my wife."

"Let me be the one who decides if you are worthy or not of my love, Regulus. We didn't start with the right foot… and you used to be a massive jerk. But… now... I know you better… and I do understand you better. I know where you came from. Now I can see that you were just raised with some very messed up ideas…"

"Which I was obtuse enough to follow…"

"And now you are not." she smiled "I have grown to love you with all my heart, Regulus. And now I can assure you that nothing, absolutely nothing would make me happier than become the next Mrs Black."

He smiled from ear to ear and gave her a long kiss on her forehead. He got a piece of jewellery from his pocket. A silver bracelet with diamonds that shined like little stars in a very delicate way.

"In that case, please accept this humble present as a token of my love," he said showing her the bracelet.

"This is beautiful, Regulus! It must have cost you a fortune!" she said examining the gift. "I'm not sure if I should accept this…"

"But you must. I mean, if you want to become my wife. This is not a regular piece of jewellery Anna… it is a betrothment confirmation token. Nobody but you and me will be able to remove it from your wrist. Not even if you died. For my family in particular, while you wear this bracelet they would be obliged to acknowledge you as being as good as my wife, for practical and legal reasons at least."

"Do you mean to say that we will be married if I wear this?"

"No… a marriage could not be broken by the removal of this bracelet, though the betrothment can easily be ceased."

"In that case… I shall accept the gift, Regulus," she said raising her hand to receive the bracelet.

"Merry Christmas, my love." he gave her a small kiss on the back of her hand, that now had his betrothment token on it.

"I have one condition to carry on wearing it though…"

"A condition?" he asked surprised.

"Yes. A condition" she said giving him a cheeky smile. "You must come over and join my family for our Christmas Dinner this afternoon, and ask my parents their blessing - as it should be done."

He gave her a wide smile.

"Of course I will, my love."

 

************************

 

Mother, I'm already seventeen! I don't need to give you explanations about my whereabouts…"

"Yes, you do. While you sleep under our roof and use our gold to maintain your luxury lifestyle you do own us an explanation at least. My only son, spending Christmas morning somewhere else..." Walburga Black grumbled about the behaviour of her youngest.

In truth, it was still morning, but Walburga Black was choosing to ignore that fact. Somehow she had noticed that he hadn't slept on his bed that evening, and she was livid with that fact.

"I'm not your only son…" Regulus said in a matter of fact. "You know, Sirius…"

But she cut Regulus as soon she heard her eldest name being mentioned.

"Don't ever mention that ungrateful bloody traitor near to my hearing range! He is worse than dead to me."

"Mother, please…"

"Oh, don't you start! He chose his path! You know too well how many times I left him to get away with things that… should have been unacceptable…"

Regulus knew that was true, but he also knew that she certainly would classify what he had done that morning, a worse sin than anything else that Sirius had ever done.

"What if I also did something unacceptable, mother? Would you disown both of your heirs? Would you rather watch the Black family die than to accept us with all our imperfections and flaws?"

"I know that you would never do that to your old mother! You know that my poor heart would not be able to handle another disappointment like that…"

"Mother, please…"

"Where did you sleep this Christmas Eve, Regulus Arcturus Black?"

"I'm sorry mother, but I… rather not share this information with you..."

"Does this have anything to do with the Dark Lord?" Walburga asked raising an eyebrow.

"Partially..." Regulus answered vaguely.

"Very well, in that case... go refresh yourself. We will be leaving in two hours for the Christmas Dinner at the Malfoys..."

"Mother, about that... I don't think that I will be able to attend to the family Christmas Dinner this year..."

"But you must go! The Dark Lord himself is going to be there! He is the guest of honour! Can you imagine what people will say if you are not present? It might sound like you are affronting him..."

"Then you must give him my most sincere apologies." Regulus urged trying to think about a quick and believable excuse for his mother to give to the Dark Lord "Tell him that yesterday I decided to go to a broom ride after my mission last night, but I ended up losing control of my broom and falling over..."

"Is that true?" Walburga frowned at him as if she wasn't really believing him.

"Yes... I broke a couple of ribs and... I ended up vanishing them because it was safer to have a Skele-Gro than risking to repair them wrongly..."

"My poor Reggie!" his mother looked him, concerned for the first time since he arrived. "Why didn't you go to St Mungo's?"

"Well, you know why..." he said showing the Dark Mark on his left arm. "showing myself injured after last night attacks… could rise unwanted attention on me…"

"You could have come back home! We could have called a healer..." Walburga started to touch his face with worry.

"Mother, please..." Regulus dodged her touch brushing her off. "You know that I need to rest. Not even the Dark Lord can argue with that... if he wants me healthy and fit to fight by his side, he will have to understand it..."

"But why didn't you come back home earlier?" she insisted.

"Mother, please… I need to rest. Tell him what he needs to know… and stop asking me things that you don't really want to hear the answer!" Regulus said before he climbed up the stairs towards his bedroom.


	7. Seventh Lesson: Don't play with fire

Regulus felt a wave of excitement running down his spine when he left his childhood home to go to the White residence to attend their Christmas lunch as he had promised that he would. For the very first time, he had lied for his mother in order to get away from attending his own family dinner. He had never lied to her before. That was the sort of thing that Sirius would have done in a heartbeat, but never Regulus. He was way too much of a mother's little golden boy for that. But interestingly, he wasn't feeling guilty about lying for Walburga Black as he thought he would be. In fact, it felt liberating as if for the first time he was the man of his own destiny.

With Kreacher's help, he got outside the house without raising any suspicion from the family portraits. After arranging a time and a place for his loyal house elf to collect him, Regulus marched towards the White household holding a flower bouquet that he had conjured. He felt nervous. Never in his life, he thought he would be asking a Muggle man for his blessing to marry his daughter. He had no idea how muggles proceed in this kind of thing, but he hoped that it wouldn't be too different from what would happen within the pureblood wizarding society. For the very first time, he wished he had taken Muggle studies as one of his optional lessons at Hogwarts.

Lucky for him, it was Annabelle who answered the doorbell, her sister just a few steps behind her. Regulus greeted her with the usual kiss on her knuckles, she smiled at the gesture but gave him a quick peck on his lips before inviting him in, making him gasp. A public display of affection like that was really rare around wizards and witches from ancient families. Annabelle exchanged a little giggle with her twin sister while he entered their house.

"Regulus, I don't think you have been formally introduced to my sister Helen…"

Helen and Annabelle were physically identical, so much that Regulus thought that he could have trouble to distinguish them apart if they did not dress and behave so differently. Regulus greeted Helen with the same hand-kissing greeting that he had done with Anna, but Helen just looked oddly at him.

"Do you always behave and dress-up like you just arrived from the beginning of the nineteenth century?" Helen blunted.

"Helen, please, be nice!" Annabelle begged her sister.

"Well, he needs to get used to me if he is seriously considering joining our family…"

Annabelle rolled her eyes while Regulus observed both sisters interaction with amusement. The rest of the introductions also ran very smoothly. Regulus was surprised to learn that Annabel's father was an elected member of the Parliament whereas her mother was in academia studying political sciences. Regulus actually struggled when they had asked him about his own political viewings, as he honestly knew nothing about Muggle politics. When they asked what was he hoping to do when he finished his studies, it was Annabelle who saved his skin by answering this question for him.

"Regulus is a magician. The best I ever seem…" she said with pride.

This leads the family to ask him to perform some magic tricks, which he tried to avoid doing, as he really didn't want to call attention about magic been used in a muggle area so near his own house. But the twins and their brother were so insistent that he ended up attending their request and made a few birds appear from thin air to the amusement of the spectators.

By the time they were finishing desserts, Regulus had finally asked the question to Annabelle's father, informing his intentions of marrying his daughter. Everybody from the family was very surprised by the question apart from her twin Sister, who looked like she had already been told about the news. Their father, however, was a little bit wary of this sudden request of a young man that they barely knew - but who wanted to marry his young daughter with such haste.

"Regulus received a job proposal from abroad... and I… I want to go with him" she informed her family, as to explain why they wanted to take this step further so quickly.

Even though Annabelle's parents did not seem pleased with that idea, Regulus could notice that they were trying their best to not look like they were fully against it. They emphasised their need of getting to know Regulus better before they gave their blessing to the young couple. Annabelle's mother suggested that maybe they could invite his family over for dinner someday. Regulus had to contain his own urge to laugh after the mention of such idea. He knew that the possibility of having Voldemort doing charity work to poor muggle children was likely to be much higher than seeing Orion and Walburga Black entering that house to discuss a possible wedding between their pureblood son and a muggle girl. But instead of saying that to the couple, Regulus politely nodded and told them that he was going to discuss possible dates with his parents, in such a refined way that only a true Slytherin would be able to do.

After dinner, the girls insisted that he played some muggle board games with the rest of their family. Before the day was over, Regulus concluded that Christmas with the White's was a very different affair than Christmas he had spent with the Blacks. And these differences were not only due to the obvious lack of magic at the White household. The White's Christmas was informal, intimate and cosy, whereas the Black Christmas was always a social event where everyone was scrutinizing and judging everyone. He decided that he prefered the White Christmas overall.

When it was time for Regulus to leave the White house, Annabelle took him to the front door and whispered on his ear before he left inviting him to come back to her bedroom that evening. Regulus smirked and gave her a wink while he kissed her knuckles before he left her.

Regulus had slept outside their home. Again. And again. And again. And Walburga Black was feeling betrayed. She could tell that her son was up to something, something that he was desperately trying to hide from her. He wasn't spending any night at home since that attack on Christmas Eve. Walburga's curiosity took over her, and during one of these nights Regulus was not in the house, she made her way to his bedroom to see if she could find any clue of his whereabouts. Break in her son's bedroom wasn't hard, and after scanning the room like a niffler who was trying to find a buried treasure, she finally found the answers she was looking for. A stack of letters. Letters which were written in muggle lined paper. Needless to say that Walburga did not rest until she read every single letter sent by that muggle girl. Also, needless to say, Walburga did not manage to rest after that.

She remained patiently waiting, seating at the green velvet armchair that was permanently placed in Regulus room, crushing the letters with her boney hands. Sooner or later Regulus would have to come back. And when he did, she would confront him about what was the meaning of this.

Walburga's waiting was long, but not in vain. Just before dawn, she saw her youngest son sneaking back to his bedroom through the window. As if he was a thief, Regulus opened his room windows' with a simple alohomora charm and dismounted his racing broom as he squeezed himself on the small gap that separated his bedroom from the outside world. Walburga didn't lose any second, and before he noticed her presence, she cast an immobulus spell on him to prevent him from escape from the scolding that she had been ruminating on her head on the past eight hours. Regulus who was caught completely off-guard ended up falling on the carpet floor, his face centimetres away from having hit the bed corner.

"HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU, REGULUS! AFTER EVERYTHING WE HAVE DONE FOR YOU!" Walburga shouted before she threw some severing and burning curses on her youngest son. She didn't want to cause any permanent damage, but her intent was clearly to hurt him. Making Regulus bleed and squint in agony had certainly somehow seemed to calm down her nerves.

"As if it wasn't enough seeing your brother…" she stopped middle sentence and took a deep breath before continuing. "now you want to follow his footsteps and become a blood traitor as well?"

Regulus was unable to move or give her any form of answer. But Walburga did not seem to mind. She turned his body to face her with her feet before she carried on her scolding.

"Courting a Muggle, Regulus! A WORTHLESS MUGGLE! HOW DARE YOU?" She said before she threw the crumpled letters on his face. Only then, she decided to lift the spell that kept him immobilized.

Regulus slowly stood up, and quickly got hold of his wand to cast some healing spells on himself before he decided to answer her.

"Mother… I'm sorry…" he said feeling suddenly very small "I did not choose to fall in love with her… it just happened…"

"FALL IN LOVE? Are you out of your mind Regulus!?" Walburga was completely lost in her own rage. She couldn't handle to lose her second son as well.

"Mother, please… the White's are nothing like the other Muggles… I'm sure that when you meet Anna and her family you will understand…" Regulus tried to defend his choices, but Walburga would never let him finished his sentence.

"THAT IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN REGULUS! WAKE UP, YOU ARE A DEATH EATER… What do you think is going to happen when the others find out about how you plan to contaminate our pure bloodline with your stupid teenager adventure?"

"Mother… I'm going to strike a deal with the Dark Lord. If he gives us his blessing, nobody will be able to be against us…"

"You are out of your mind! My son has been bewitched by a blood muggle!" She said with rage. "I strictly forbid you to carry on seeing that woman!"

"Mother, I'm sorry but I cannot comply with your request…"

"I forbid you to carry on seeing her! You are grounded! You are not to lay a feet outside this house!"

"Mother, you can't do this! I'm seventeen. I'm no longer underage…"

"Yes, you are. But while you still live under my roof you will do exactly as I say!"

"So be it." He said serious, and for a moment Walburga's body relaxed as she felt like she had won the battle.

However, Regulus pointed his wand to his new school truck, making all his most important belongs to flew from all the corners of the room, making his luggage to pack itself with haste, as if he was ready to fly off to Hogwarts that very same moment.

"Regulus, what do you think you are doing!?" she answered with horror on her voice from the first time since they started the argument.

"It is not obvious, mother? I'm moving out!" Regulus said with one hand holding his suitcase and the other carrying his racing broom.

"No, you can't! I forbid you!" Walburga looked almost panicked with the possibility of having her younger son leaving her house.

"Yes, I can! I'm doing it." and he left through the same place he had entered - his room window.

"You have nowhere to go!" she pleaded.

"We shall see about that..."

"If you leave us now, I will disown you!" she warned as she gave him a severe stern.

"No you won't," Regulus said with all the confidence he could muster "I'm sure you don't want to disown the last two male heirs of the Black bloodline, am I right?"

Walburga did not say anything against his argument, instead, she remained standing there, looking at her son leaving his childhood home without her blessing. She observed him flying way until he was completely out of her sight. She then summoned Kreacher.

"Follow him. Make sure he is cared for. Make sure he is safe."

The house-elf gave her an exaggerated courtesy before he disappeared with a loud pop to do her bidding.

Not even half an hour had passed since Walburga saw Regulus leaving her house, and she was already on her way to the White's residence in order to do something that she never believed that she was going to need to do. However, desperate times, required desperate measures. And Walburga was determined to make that Muggle woman to leave her son - in one way or another. Finding her house with a tracking spell was easy. Breaking in her room, was even easier. Apparently, her youngest son did not care enough for the girl for setting traps or to give her house any sort of protection or seclusion. "Better this way", Walburga murmured to herself while she observed the teenager woman that was still deeply sleeping on her bed. Walburga couldn't help but wonder what forces had driven Regulus to her in the first place, as on her eyes, the young woman was nothing but ordinary plain.

Walburga remained there observing the muggle while trying to decide which spell or curse should she use on her. Obliviate sounded like an obvious candidate, but there were others that could do even better work on keeping her away from her precious Regulus. It was then that Annabelle moved her body in a way that made her hand be visible to Walburga, who quickly noticed the engagement jewellery from the family vaults that the muggle was clearly wearing.

"Regulus, you crossed all lines this time!" Walburga whispered with a mist of disappointment and frustration with the choices of her youngest.

Instead of cursing the woman, she performed some spells that allowed her to learn things that she would have rather remained ignorant about it. So that was it. Regulus had chosen to contaminate the pure Black lineage by breeding with a worthless muggle. Well, she decided that she would not kill the girl… at least not yet. And certainly not with her own hands. Nonetheless, she would have to rush to the Lestrange Manor. Informing her dear niece Bellatrix about the existence of an unborn bundle of joy that was risking to stain their family tapestry, seemed to be the most plausible course of action. At least for the time being.

It was New Year's Eve, and as it was the tradition, another banquet had been served to honour the Dark Lord that evening. Regulus decided that it would be more than imprudent to miss another important gathering from the inner circle, especially when he felt like he needed more than ever to get on the Dark Lord graces. He had left his childhood home earlier that day and decided to rent a room at the Leaky Cauldron as temporary lodging for him to stay. At least until it was time for him to return to Hogwarts and finish his studies.

However, now that his mother knew about Annabelle he was starting to grow worried about if leaving the girl vulnerable and near his mother would be a wise course of action. She certainly had sent Kreacher to keep one eye on him, as he had spotted the house-elf unpacking his belongs on his new room when he went to use the restroom. Regulus took that as a sign that she did not disown him as she had done with Sirius, as he had predicted.

Regulus smirked before he requested the house-elf to fix him some breakfast, more to inform the old fellow that Regulus was aware of his presence. He then looked at his window where he could see the Muggle London that he knew so little about. He started to wonder if it would be wise to ask someone's help to protect his muggle fiance. The name of his brother Sirius crossed his mind, but he ended up deciding against it. He knew that his brother was very involved with Dumbledore's Order to make it safe enough for Regulus to approach him. Then he thought about each one of his school friends, trying to figure out if there was someone he could safely ask for help on this matter. Regulus ended up concluding that there was nobody that he could trust enough to protect Annabelle from the wrath of his mother. He would have to do this all by himself.

"...if you are here, having the honour of dining with me tonight, it is because I consider you to be one of my most loyal soldiers," the Dark Lord said in the middle of his speech he was giving to the Death Eaters that were dining at Malfoy Manor with him that evening.

Bellatrix was sitting on his right - an honoured place. Lucio Malfoy, his host was sitting on his left. Cousin Bellatrix smiled at him, and Regulus thought that his mother had decided to keep it secret the fact that he had left home. Regulus hide his relief and smiled back to her.

"I need your help once again to request your help, my loyal followers. I need you to perform other attacks to drag the Ministry attention to way from me tonight, as I will be evoking some very powerful ancient magic that is going to help us immensely with our cause."

Regulus face remained expressionless, but his heart sank with the perspective of having to lead another attack. He did not want to murder more and more muggles. He was sick and tired of doing that. He was very glad that Severus had been kind enough to teach him some Occlumency, otherwise, he was sure that Voldemort or some of his followers would have picked his displacement with this idea. He masked his feelings and gave a small smirk to act as the others expected him to do - however, he was certain that some of the Death Eaters were genuinely happy with the perspective of spent the rest of New Years Eve torturing and killing muggles. His cousin among the ones he was certainly was feeling ecstatic with the perspective of torturing and killing muggles.

"Brothers and Sisters, let's feast before the slaughter," the Dark Lord said before he waved his wine giving a toast to his followers, who copied their master. Regulus did this best to hide his disgust with the entire situation - would he ever be able to free himself from that cursed Death Eater's life?

When the Dark Lord finished his meal and stood up, all the others stood up in a sign of respect and left the dining table. It turned out that the Dark Lord had already allocated three different group leaders for that evening's attack. Regulus wasn't surprised to see that his cousin Bellatrix would be leading one of them - the smallest of the groups. Regulus was walking his way to join Lucius Malfoy who was going to be leading the larger group when a cold hand grabbed his shoulders. Regulus was stunned to see that it had been the Dark Lord who was holding him back from the others.

"Not you, Regulus. I have a special task for you if you please…" Voldemort pointed to Lucius Malfoy's office, clearly ordering Regulus to join him there.

"Of course my Lord," Regulus answered politely, but his blood went icy-cold with fear. Did him already know about his relationship with Annabelle? Did his mother tell him? She wouldn't dare to risk his life like this... would she?

Voldemort led the way as if he was the owner of Malfoy's manor. He poured himself and Regulus a drink before he pointed to some of the couch chairs, silencing ordering Regulus to seat on it.

"Regulus Black, the last heir from the most noble and ancient house of Black. You are going to help me to make history tonight. But first… you need to prove your worth..."

"Anything you want my Lord…" Regulus said, but he tried to avoid looking at his bloody-red-eyes, as he wasn't really trusting his Occlumency skills not to betray him at that moment. Instead, he decided to bend down on his knees and kiss the Dark Lord's green robes.

"That is actually not much that I require… you won't need you to lift a finger. I just need you to lend me your house elf for the evening. I've heard you have a loyal house-elf, I am right?"

"Yes My Lord! Kreacher is one of the best house-elf's a wizard could dream to have…"

"Very well. Summon him!" he ordered.

"Now…?" Regulus eyes were wide open as he was caught by surprise with that strange sudden request.

"You should have learned by now that I don't really like to repeat myself…" Voldemort said starting to get a little bit impatient with the younger wizard. Regulus felt like he didn't need another hint, so he summoned Kreacher immediately.

"Kreacher! Kreacher! Come here, now!" Regulus ordered, and as soon he stopped to speak, Kreacher apparated with a loud pop inside Malfoy's office.

"Master Regulus," Kreacher said with an exaggerated reverence. "My Lord," the house-elf said with giving an equally exaggerated reverence for the Dark Lord.

"Kreacher, I want you to obey the Dark Lord and do everything he needs you to do. Return to me once you are done with his assignments."

"Kreacher is extremely honoured to serve Master Regulus's Masters. Kreacher is going to do anything on his power to help you, my Lord!" Kreacher said bowing once more to the Dark Lord.

"Indeed a very fine elf, which knows its place, Regulus" Lord Voldemort gave Regulus such an evil smirk that made him chill. Regulus didn't dare to demonstrate it or say anything, but the fact that Voldemort had called Kreacher 'it', instead of 'him', had really bothered him.

"Is that it, my Lord? Is there anything else that I could do to assist you tonight?" Regulus asked really hoping that Voldemort did not ask for him to join the others in the massacre.

"Yes, Regulus. I want you to clean the mess left by my Death Eaters at the feast." Voldemort said casually as he adjusted his cloak getting ready to leave him.

"But my Lord, this is a house-elf's job!" Regulus saw the words leaving his mount before he had the sense to keep them to himself.

"Exactly. Well, your house-elf is doing a Death Eater's job, so nothing more fair, right?" Voldemort said giving him an evil grin. "Don't be upset Regulus, I know that you don't enjoy some… types of dark magic… and I understand that. After all, how would we recognise the stronger if it wasn't for the weaker? It is not everyone who like me, have not only the brains but also the strength to do what it takes to become indestructible"

Regulus's blood froze when he heard that piece of information. Did the Dark Lord know about his unpleasant with killing muggles? Did he think that Regulus was weak?

"Yes, Regulus, I know that you don't enjoy killing or torturing Muggles like some of my followers…" Voldemort said casually grabbing Kreacher by his neck in such a way that Regulus was certain that would have hurt the poor elf. "but I also know that despite everything else, I feel that you are still loyal to our cause. Don't worry child, I still have great plans for you. After you are done with the cleaning, you can go and enjoy the night as you see fit. It is New Year's Eve after all…"

"Thank you, my Lord! You are very merciful," Regulus said before he gave him a bow leaving the Dark Lord alone with Kreacher.

He felt a pang on his chest as he realised he had just been humiliated by the Dark Lord. There was no way he would manage to get on the man's good books after the words they had exchanged. Even though Regulus was certain that his Oclumency shields were right in place, he knew that somehow the Dark Lord had learned somethings about his persona - things that he would have preferred to remain unknown.

"I'm sorry for having you on this position, cousin, but the Dark Lord told me clearly that you weren't to have any aid from me or any house-elf…" Narcissa Black - Malfoy, Regulus had yet to get used to her married name - told him just after she informed him where the cleaning supplies of the manor were located.

"Did him tell you something about not using magic?" Regulus asked hopefully.

"No, he didn't mention anything regarding that…"

"In that case…" Regulus said taking his wand out from the pocket on his robes "I'm glad that mother made me learn a lot of cleaning spells..." he said giving Narcissa a playful smile.

"You are so much like Sirius… you like to play with fire. Careful, you might end up getting burned" she said to him, but her eyes were smiling, not condemning his behaviour. Regulus smiled back, and then he focused on doing the task requested by the Dark Lord. If he was quick enough. He was likely to still make it to the White's New Year's Eve party after all.


	8. Eighth Lesson: Magic comes with a price

It was almost midnight when Regulus left the manor and went straight to Annabelle's parents' house. He was hoping to spend a carefree evening with his future wife and in-laws. What he failed to anticipate was that he would find the Dark Mark floating above the White residence. It felt like the world had suddenly stopped spinning. Regulus heart was racing so fast that he was certain that it was going to explode.

With difficult, he got his legs moving, and suddenly he started running to the house. Even before he entered he could already smell the carnage. This cousin Bellatrix really had a dramatic approach when it came to killing and torturing her victims. He slammed the door opened and saw a couple of bodies laying on the floor. Others like Annabelle's brother Alfred, had his body and blood decorating the ceiling, like a very macabre wallpaper. Regulus felt that some of the food in his stomach was trying to leave his body. He tried his best to put himself together, focusing on finding out if there were any survivors - and especially hoping that by some heavenly miracle Anna would have been anywhere else but there that evening. He cast homenum revelio, which informed him that there were at least two people alive lingering in the house. Following the spell, his heart almost stopped when he realised that the two last alive people were inside Annabelle's room.

Regulus' wand hand was shaking in a mixture of hope and fear when he opened the door. The image he saw would never ever leave his mind. Bellatrix laughing loudly like a maniac, bouncing Annabelle's body around the room like a ragdoll being thrown from wall to wall. She had cuts all over her body - including her face - forming words like 'scum', 'mud' and 'dirty mud'. Regulus knew that no matter what, they would never fully heal. Annabelle was so pale, and by the amount of blood on the floor, and at the walls, he could well imagine the reason.

"Little Reggie finally have come to play!" Bellatrix said with a crazy grim, leaving Annabelle's body dropped from the ceiling without a second thought. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to join our little girly chat, cousin. Rabastan and Rodolpho got bored of waiting and left me alone here having all the fun by myself, you see…" she informed him. Her annoying girly voice was getting on Regulus's nerves. He couldn't restrain himself any longer.

"LEAVE-HER-ALONE" Regulus was shaking with range. His feelings were so strong that he could feel the raw magic begging to be released from his fingers. Begging to hurt his cousin Bellatrix.

"Tut-tut Regulus, you disappointed me," she said walking away from the Muggle who was fighting to remain conscious on the floor. "breeding with a muggle, Reggie? I mean, really? I thought that you were different from little Siri…"

"GET OUT! LEAVE US ALONE!" Regulus said now pointing his wand to Bellatrix's face.

"Did you know that she was with child, Reggie? Conceived just a few days ago. We couldn't risk having a horrendous Half-blood tarnishing our family tapestry, could we?"

Regulus's was now making the room to shake as if they were in the middle of an earthquake with accidental magic, such was the strength of his rage. He felt like he had enough and decided to evoke the curse that was dancing on the tip of his tongue.

"AVADA KEDAVRA," he said, but Bellatrix managed to duck away from the curse. She suddenly became serious and threw one last curse on the girl that was lying down on the floor before she finally disapparated, leaving Regulus and Annabelle alone.

Regulus kneeled in front of the girl and saw that now she had more blood coming out her mount. She also had a couple of nasty exposed fractures on all her limbs, and Regulus wouldn't be surprised if she also had a couple of broken ribs.

"Anna! Can you hear me? Stay with me ok? I'm going to heal you… you are going to be all right…" he said pointing his wand to her left leg in order to start mending her bones. But the reaction she had with the spell wasn't what he had expected.

"What… I don't understand, why are you not healing?" he said confused trying to remember if he had performed the correct wand motion. It was then that he noticed that not only her bones had failed to mend, but a rash seemed to be spreading over her entire body.

"Gosh, she poisoned you as well!" and then he noticed that there was also some purple foam dripping from her mount along with the blood. "multiple poisons…"

Regulus tried to wipe away some of her own blood that was still dripping from her forehead, where the word 'mud' had been carved. He was disheartened, and for the first time, he started to realise that healing her would be a job that was way beyond his abilities. She then started to shake in a strong convulsion. Regulus was no healer, but he knew that he needed to act fast if he wanted to avoid her to die on his arms.

"We need time… I need to buy us some time…." he said remembering one spell that he had read about it, but never used. It was dark magic, but at least, it would stop her from dying on his arms at that moment.

Anima Vitae. It was considered to be dark magic because it borrowed his own life and health for her to be able to survive. If he stayed more than two meters away from her, both of them were likely to die. But at that moment Regulus couldn't care less for his own life - Slytherin self-preservation be doomed. He could only care about the life of the girl who was dying on his arms. He casted the spell, and carefully carried her down the stairs, as he wouldn't dare to apparate with her in such a state, as apparition could sometimes make things worse in very severe cases like that.

Regulus was about to leave the White's residence when he saw his brother rushing inside the house like Regulus had done not long ago.

"Regulus! So it is true, then. You are a Death Eater!" Sirius said pointing his own wand against his own brother.

Regulus felt exhausted. He didn't want to deal with his brother.

"Sirius please, I beg you… just let me go…" Regulus plead, with tears of despair on his eyes.

"YOU KILLED THEM!" Sirius said looking at his childhood friend who was glued to the ceiling.

"No, I swear I didn't. Bella and her husband did this… I'm just… you need to let us go, Sirius. She needs to see a healer… and she is… she is dying!"

"And why would you care? Since when do you care for them? Or for any muggle, mind me add…" Sirius could see the despair on Regulus pale face, but he knew that his brother could be a very good actor when it suited him.

"Sirius, please! Now I can finally understand... this blood supremacy... mother was wrong... I was wrong..." Regulus begged, but his brother had his wand pointed to him and an expression that showed that he was determined not to let Regulus go without a fight.

"Yes, you were. But regretting your choices now won't change what you did. I'm still going to hand you over to the DMLE. They will put you in Azkaban, where you shall rot. Now be a good boy and put her down."

"Sirius I can't!" Regulus pleaded.

"Just do it, Regulus. I will take her to the St. Mungos"

"You don't understand! I casted Anima vitae on her. If she is separated from me, we both are going to die!" Regulus said trying to phrase his urgency.

Regulus was almost regretting having cast that spell now that Sirius had arrived. His brother would be able to take her to St Mungo's, and he... well, somehow he wasn't feeling worried about his own fate anymore. If he had to die in order for her to live, so be it. The sound of muggle fireworks started, announcing that it was already 1979. Both brothers remained glaring at each other for a couple of minutes. But it was Sirius who broke the silence.

"Just put her on the floor. I don't want to hit her!" Sirius begged.

"No Sirius, I can't… she is my…" Regulus took a deep breath and slowly moved her body in a way that Sirius would be able to see the bracelet on her wrist. "she is my fiancé, Sirius. You are right. I am a Death Eater, but I swear I did not plan this attach... "

Sirius seemed to be taken back by this revelation. Despite that, his wand's aim remained strong as ever pointed to Regulus chest.

"You would never... you are lying... I'm not sure what you want with her, but this must be a lie..." Sirius cautioned.

"Brother, you don't need to believe me... but you must let us go,"

"I don't want to risk to hit her, but you leave me no choice, Stupefy," Sirius said just before he casted the stunning spell. But Regulus somehow managed to block the incantation, even while he still held her on his arms.

"What is going on here..." Helen, Annabelle's twin sister entered the room carrying a bottle of champagne that fell on the floor as soon as she took in the blood scene massacre that had occurred on her childhood home. Both Sirius and Regulus looked at her, who had her mount and eyes wide open in horror and as she realised what had happened there.

"Anna? Or is it Helen?" Sirius started saying, as he calmly walked towards the teenager who was shaking in a complete state of shock.

Regulus decided to take advantage of his brother's own distraction and sneaked away from the garden backdoor. When Sirius finally noticed his brother's absence, Regulus had already flown away on his broomstick with Annabelle and was half on his way to Spinner's End.

Severus Snape wasn't home when Regulus arrived and helped him inside, but Regulus didn't expect him to. He knew that Snape was likely to still be with the others doing the attacks. But he hoped that Snape's wards would be good enough to alert the former Slytherin that he had some uninvited guests, and Regulus hoped that this would be enough to make the Death Eater rush back home, instead of staying out for celebrations. While he waited, Regulus placed her on the sofa and kneeled beside her body with a conjured cloth and started to clean some of her wounds. Every moment he found a new wound, a new place that would need medical attention. Regulus's body had also started to display some wounds - an effect from the magic he had performed - and his own nose had started bleeding.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for Severus entered the house, his silver mask still covering his face, and his wand on his hand, showing that he was ready to kill if necessary.

"Regulus Black," Severus said as soon as he realised who his uninvited guest was. He removed his mask straightway before talking again "What hell are you doing here?"

"Severus, my friend… I beg you… please, save her!" Regulus was still kneeling beside his muggle lover, who was lying still as stone as if she was in a coma. The despair on his face was so evident that Snape didn't even need to read Regulus mind to figure out how important that woman was for the youngest Black heir.

Without asking any questions, Severus quickly removed his travel cloak and started to perform a series of spells on the muggle girl to see what could be done to save her. Regulus sat on the couch next to the sofa, trying to give Snape some space for him to work, but at the same time, remaining near enough her as it was required by the bond he now shared with her. Snape summed potions and placed a bezoar inside her mount, while he carried on casting spells that made some of her wounds disappear, however, some of them seemed to be resisting his incantations. Regulus remained there, watching his friend trying to save the life of the woman he loved - and now he no longer doubted that it was actually true love what he was feeling. Regulus remained there, silently waiting, hoping that Severus would soon stop and inform him that Annabelle would be fine. Only that it wasn't what happened.

"I'm sorry Regulus… I did all I could" Snape said before standing up "whoever did this to her, ensured that it would be impossible to fully heal her without killing her first. If you keep her under Anima vitae, as you are, you might buy her a few weeks, maybe even one or two months, but no more. She will still be on this pitiful coma existence, and the only thing you will gain from it is to deteriorate your own health and kill yourself at the of it. The kindest thing to do to both of you is to let her go."

"No… No... NO!" Regulus craved both his hands on his long hair, removing some tugs after this act of desolation "there must be something we can do… she can't just… please, Severus, she can't… she can't die!"

Regulus kneeled near to her immobilized body, holding her hand, stroking her hair. The hard truth that she was not going to recover was starting to finally sink in. She was still covered in blood, and he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of guilt for bringing her to his life. For not anticipate what the consequences of his actions would likely to be. For not protecting her as well as he should. For having believed on atrocious things, such as muggle's inferiority, and especially for following the orders of a mad-man that had to give him nothing but sorrow in return.

Regulus didn't know how long he stayed there, looking at her barely alive figure, which was laying on Severus Snape's old couch. In fact, Regulus only reminded himself where he was when he felt the weight of his old school friend's hands on his shoulders. It was only then that Regulus noticed that he had been crying. He tried to discreetly hide his tears away from the other male in the room, even though he was sure that he had already noticed them.

"Regulus…" Snape started not sure of what he should say on that situation. "Who is this… girl?"

The pregnant pause and the disdain on Severus's voice didn't go unnoticed by Regulus. He stroked the girl's face while he decided how much he should tell him.

"Her name is Annabelle White. She is… she is my fiancé," Regulus said without removing his eyes from the girl.

Snape looked him pitifully.

"I'm guessing that someone from the Black family did not want to hold their peace…"

"You guessed right."

Snape remained in silence as he carefully deciding how much of his private life he would dare to share with the younger Black heir.

"My father was a muggle. I still have no idea what my mother saw on him. They didn't have anything in common. He was…" Severus stopped, not really wanting to share his opinion about what his father really was. "They are too different from us. that is why I don't believe that a relationship with a muggle can ever have a bright future…"

"And still, you left yourself to fall in love with Evans…" Regulus stated making Severus Snape glare at him clear annoyed.

"Lily is a witch…"

"Evans is a mu…muggle-born witch" Regulus corrected himself in middle of his sentence. "She's been raised by a muggle family. She carries their traditions and values"

"Lily is different from the muggles…"

"Annabelle is different as well. She is…"

But Regulus stopped middle-sentence realising that soon she would no longer be alive. Soon he would need to refer to her in the past tense, and there was nothing that he could do about it. This thought made him feel hollow and bitter.

"Bellatrix told me she was with child..." Regulus informed Snape, who immediately bent down to perform two more spells on the unconscious girl.

"She still is..."

"Is there... anything..."

"No. There isn't..." Snape stood up once more "no fetus magical or not, would be able to survive such an early labour induction. You should forget about it."

Snape seemed to notice the turmoil on his friend's mental state and decided that it would be probably best to leave him be. Severus then left Regulus and his muggle girl alone and went to his private quarters. Once he was already out of sight, an apparition noise announced the presence of Regulus's house-elf Kreacher. He looked miserable. Kreacher was stumbling as if he was drunk and were pale as if he was ill. Regulus managed to catch the elf just before he treated to fall on Severus carpet.

"Ma-master Regulus…" the house-elf mumbled "Kreacher is a ba-bad elf… didn't stay there as Regulus's master ordered… but master Regulus ordered Kreacher to come back to him… those dead living creatures were trying to kill Kreacher. Kreacher was scared. Kreacher didn't know what to do, so Kreacher..." but the house-elf never finished off that sentence. He stared at the rusty flowery wallpaper for a long moment, until Regulus took pity of the elf's clearly disturbed state. Even though Regulus was feeling more than miserable at that moment, somehow he felt like he needed to know what had happened to his house-elf. If for nothing else, at least as a silly attempt to take his mind away from his own sorrow, at least for a few moments.

"Kreacher, you are not making any sense. Sit down. Now please, tell me exactly what happened."

Regulus ordered, and Kreacher was forced to describe everything that had happened with him from the moment the Dark Lord took him out Regulus's sight. Regulus then heard the house-elf's tale on how he was forced to go on a trip to a mysterious cave. Kreacher told him as many details he could remember of the place, and how it was warded. Kreacher also informed him that Voldemort had kept an Inferi army guarding one single precious object that he had transported there. But it was the way that Kreacher described that particular object that caught Regulus attention.

"Kreacher, what do you mean by the 'Dark Lord's locket being'? I don't understand what you mean by that…" Regulus asked as he noticed his elf seemed to be taken back by that particular object.

"Kreacher means exactly what Kreacher said, Master Regulus. Regulus's master has a locket that he has kept a piece of Regulus's master being on it." Kreacher said despite been clearly uncomfortable talking about that particular object.

"You meant to say that the Dark Lord has hidden a locket that has part of himself imprinted on it…?" Regulus asked the house-elf, who nervously shook his hands to confirm Regulus' line of thought. "But what could that be…? How would he keep a part of himself in an object…?" Regulus was pacing from one side to the other from Snape's living room, trying to figure out the Dark Lord's riddle.

Fortunately, it did not take long for him to remember the description of one particular piece of dark magic that he had read in a book. The very same book that had prompted his approximation with one that they had mistakenly exchanged a couple of months ago. It felt like it had been years now. The thought only increased the sore raw wound he was now sure he had under his chest. A pain that he knew that he would not have to be feeling if it were not for the Dark Lord himself. Voldemort has a Horcrux. Voldemort has a Horcrux and I'm likely to be the only wizard who knows where it is hidden. Maybe I will be able to have my revenge after all.

Regulus's sharp mind quickly came on this conclusion, but he rushed to hide it, as he didn't feel like he should trust this particular information to anyone. Not even his good friend Severus. Nonetheless, before he could think about, a morbid but promising plan started to be formulated on his head. He would need Severus help, and he was sure that his Death Eater fellow would not want to help him go through with the dark plan Regulus had in mind.

Thankfully Regulus being a Slytherin through and through, had grown to be an expert on the art of blackmailing. Severus would hate to help him, but Regulus was certain that he would do it regardless. Because that self-preservation was a strong trait at the snake's house. A trait that Regulus realised that he no longer possessed.

The full moon was glowing in the sky, and they were only a few minutes away from the witching hour. Flecks of cold sea water were sprinkling at the three beings that had dared to stand on the rock that stood at the entrance of a cursed cave. Regulus looked completely destroyed, his hair was messy, his clothes were dirty and the dark half-circles under his eyes were the clear proof that had hadn't slept for days. Despite that, he felt determined. He was carefully carrying Annabel on his shoulders. The muggle girl remained unconscious - held on an enchanted sleep, barely alive, only surviving through the power of the magical bond that Regulus had placed on her for the past dozen days. Kreacher was by his side, not by his own will, but due to the force of the bond he shared with his master.

"Ma-master Regulus," Kreacher the house-elf held one of Regulus hands so tightly that the young man was sure that it had cut his blood circulation on that hand "please don't do it! Don't make Kreacher do this..." Kreacher whipped, glaring his master with fear in his eyes.

"Sorry Kreacher… but this is the only way. But don't worry, you will be alright this time. I promise"

If Regulus thought that this would put Kreacher's feelings at bay, he was quickly proven to be mistaken, as the house-elf started to shake after hearing his statement. Ignoring how bad Kreacher was feeling about it, Regulus ordered the elf to bring him to the hidden passage of the cave. Once they were there, Kreacher tried to protest when Regulus informed him that he was going to be opening it with his own blood instead of hurting Kreacher as Voldemort had done.

"Stop protesting Kreacher. This is my choice to make, not yours. You must keep your strength. If everything happens according to the plan, you will have a Horcrux to destroy after all…" Regulus said before he made a small cut on his hand in order to feed the magical gate, opening it as he had expected it would. They entered the main chamber and Regulus was stunned by the eeriness of that place, which was bigger than he had imagined it would be. The only two lights came from the tip of his own wand, and from the centre of the island where he knew his cursed prize was resting.

"Summon the boat," Regulus ordered Kreacher before he changed the way he was carrying the unconscious muggle girl to a bridal style. "not long until we are free, my love. I promise you... I won't let anything like this happen to you in our next life…"

Regulus whispered to the muggle girl's ear, but if she heard anything, she was unable to acknowledge it. He tenderly kissed her forehead and carried her to the boat that Kreacher had already pulled from the bottom of the lake.

"Ma-master Regulus," Kreacher whispered with reluctance while the boat was taking them to the small island on the cave's centre "Kreacher doesn't think Master Regulus is on his right mind… what is Mistress going to say when she finds it out?"

"Mother won't know about it, because you are not going to tell her. Simple as that. You are not allowed to tell about this to anyone in the family, do you hear me? Especially not about the bond I am about to make between mine and Annabelle's souls. Nobody can ever dream about that. I am going too far, doing the unthinkable... I can't risk endangering her life again..."

Regulus noticed the Inferi sleeping under the water, just as Kreacher had previously described to him. Now he had confirmed why the Dark Lord had needed so many dead bodies. Everything just to protect his precious Horcrux. Regulus tightened his grip on the unconscious girl in his arms. They were going to die, but at least he was in peace with the fact that they were going to take a small piece of the Dark Lord with him. It wouldn't be a worthless death. Even sweeter revenge as he believed that the spell he was going to perform was going to allow him and Annabelle to rebirth - to reincarnate again. The Dark Lord wasn't going to have this chance.

It was a very experimental piece of magic. People who performed the ritual had obviously died - and people did not seem to be able to take their memories with them if they ever successfully managed to reborn again. However, there was some evidence of its efficacy, and at the current circumstances, Regulus was more than willing to take his chances. He didn't want to live anymore. At least, not in a world where he and his Anna were unable to live a long and prosperous life by his side.

They quickly approached the small island, the green light that emanated from it, was becoming brighter as they were getting more near it. When they finally got to the shore, it was clear that the light was coming from inside the potion basin. Regulus walked to the opposite side of the island and laid the girl on the floor before he started to prepare for the ritual he planned to finish once he managed to retrieve Voldemort's Horcrux from the basin. He drew a pentacle with a special paint that Snape had made for him after Regulus threatened to spread that he loved Lily Evans to all Death Eaters. Among other things, the potion contained his and Annabelle's own blood. He placed the girl's body on the centre, the engagement jewellery he had previous gifted to her, in one of the edges of the pentacle and whispered a couple of incantations that formed a small ward inside the circle. He lighted six black candles. When everything seemed to be in order, Regulus left her body there and turned his attention back to Kreacher.

"When I finish the ritual, our bodies will burn into ashes. Please, clean up any residual trace magic of this ritual I am performing. Absolutely nobody should know about it." Regulus looked to the girl who was lying on the cold floor of the artificial island "Ensure that her twin-Sister has that bracelet. I wrote her a letter… here…" Regulus gave it to the house-elf who was shaking in anticipation for what was about to come.

"Ma-mas-ter..!" Kreacher started but Regulus ignored him once again. Instead, he turned his attention to the basin. Regulus got an old wine glass he had brought with him from his pocket and dunked it inside the basin, filling it with that cursed potion.

"To your health, Kreacher" he toasted the air before he allowed the bittersweet taste to invade his mount. The vision of Annabelle being tortured by Bellatrix came to his mind and he felt his body tense, but he drunk every single drop of it. He filed his cup and carried on with the psychological torture of reliving everything that had happened with him and her during the past couple of days. However, the potion did not affect him as much as it should have, as he already spent a great amount of his time ruminating about their fate. It was all very recent, the wounds were still fresh and opened. If anything, the potion only made his suffering even more intense than what it already was. This ended up giving him even more reason to carry on drinking it and filling his cup three, five, eight times as it was revenge along with the hope for a brighter future that fueled his actions.

When he finally finished drinking the last drop of the potion, he felt the immense thirst that Kreacher had described to him.

"WATER… water…" he begged. The thirst he felt was so huge that it clouded his mind preventing him from have any clear thought. However, they were prepared for this, and Kreacher was able to give him exactly the antidote he needed without waking the dark creatures that were resting inside the lake.

"Here Master Regulus, drink this…" the house-elf said before he provided his master with a vial containing the antidote that would allow Regulus to recover his senses once again.

Regulus blindly accepted and took the remedy the elf gave him without a second thought. He immediately recovered his senses and grabbed the Horcrux that was resting inside the old basin. Regulus quickly made a copy of the Slytherin locket and wrote a rushed message to place inside it.

"To the Dark Lord

I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more.

R.A.B."

Regulus then placed the fake locket back to the basin and casted the spell that he had seen Voldemort casting when he had seen Kreacher's memory. Regulus and Kreacher remained in silence while they observed the basin to magically fill itself as it had happened when Voldemort had placed the real Horcrux inside it.

"Here Kreacher, please take it…" Regulus asked handing the real Horcrux to the house-elf who was still shaking when he took it. He checked his pocket watch that confirmed what he already knew "I… I think... it is time…"

Regulus glanced to the muggle girl's body who was still resting on the same spot he had previously laid her in. He looked paler than ever, but he was determined to go through this to the end.

"Mas-mas-ter Regulus…" Kreacher start whipping, but Regulus decided to ignore the house-elf state. He didn't want to change his mind.

"Please Kreacher… make sure that letter reach her twin-sister… and take the bracelet to her… Anna will reborn on her own family, and... my soul shall follow her… never mention this to anyone"

Kreacher then was forced to watch as Regulus entered inside the pentacle and recite the dark incantations that would bring his own life to an end. For a very brief moment, Regulus lifted the spell that was keeping Annabelle's alive in a coma. He ended the ritual setting fire to both their bodies. Their bodies had already started to burn when Regulus heard her saying 'I love you' for one last time before he watched her life to leave her eyes. He kissed her tenderly and hugged her firmly, ready to embrace death and the unknown. The physical pain he was feeling was tremendous, but he didn't move an inch. He braced the heat of the fire that was burning his body until he could no longer feel anything. Regulus was then engulfed by the kiss of death.

Once the ritual was over, Kreacher did what Regulus had requested. The house-elf cleared the magical traces of the ritual, gathered Regulus' and Annabelle's ashes and apparated back to the rocks outside the cave.

The house-elf felt the salt sea water to splash on his face. Kreacher felt numbed. His Master Regulus was no longer alive and he had witnessed his death, unable to do anything to stop him from taking his own life. Kreacher looked at the locket and the bracelet determined to fulfil the last two missions that master Regulus gave to him: To destroy the locket and to give the bracelet back to Annabelle's twin sister.


	9. Epilogue

Friday, 2nd November 1979

Not even one year had passed since her entire family had died when Helen White had given birth to a gorgeous little girl. Luca Morelli, a young Italian man had conquered her love with his light-hearted way of enjoying life. He had helped her to carry on standing, even if everything was looking so gloomy and dark. He gave her new hope, and together they were now building a new family. From all the members of her family that had died on that fatidical New Years Eve, it was her twin Sister the one who she missed the most. Many people fail to understand how they could be so close despite being so different. Annabelle was always the girly, kind and sweet, whereas she was always the fierce woman who would never hold her tongue back. But the reality was that they always complemented each other in such a way, that one those who also have twins can possibly fathom. But now she had gone, as had everyone else.

Since she learned about her pregnancy, Helen never had any doubt which name the baby would have if it was a girl. Luca complied with her request, only asking if the name could be written in the same way as it was the name of his own Great-Grandmother. After nine exhausting hours of labour, their little girl had finally arrived.

"She has your hair... and I think she is going to end up having your eyes..." Helen said to her husband to be while she caressed the little newborn on her hands.

"She certainly has your smile, una piccola principessa, amore mio..." Luca told as he hugged his new family.

"Luca... on the outside pocket of my maternity bag there is a tiny little bracelet... can you grab it for me, please?"

He did as she asked, and as soon as she placed the bracelet on the newborn's tiny hands, a shining golden sphere of light left the jewellery and floated out of the window of their hospital ward.

"What was that?" Luca asked warily with his thick Italian accent.

"I have no idea... I just... I needed to give her this bracelet... it was my sister's..." she looked a little bit concerned with her choice of giving the jewellery to her newborn girl. "It just that... it felt so important for me to give this to her... I can't even explain why... I just felt she needed to have it! Even though I can swear that it shouldn't fit a newborn baby! I think my head is hurting... can you please be a darling and see if the nurse can give me anything for my headache?"

Almost nine months later...

"I came as soon as I could! Now... where is my Godson?" Sirius Black arrived at the antenatal award of St. Mungos carrying an enormous teddy Bear with him.

"Shhh, Sirius... he is asleep..." Lily Potter brought her index finger to her mouth to ask for silence.

"Oh... right!" Sirius whispered as he entered the Potter's private quarters trying to be a little bit quieter. "Where is James, Lily...?"

"I asked him to get me some takeaway... he should be here soon. I can't believe how much time it took for this little one come out! The healers were calling him trouble!" She kissed the forehead of the newborn boy she was carrying on her arms.

Sirius smiled to the sight of his best friend's first-born.

"Of course he is trouble! He is Jame's little boy..." the first thing he noticed when he saw his Godson was his extremely messy hair. "I can already see he definitely has the infamous Potter hair. Poor kid. Old Fleamont would have been delighted."

Lily sighed.

"It is such a shame he is not going to have Grandparents... If only I and Tuney were closer... he would at least have an Aunt..."

"Don't worry about it, Lily. He might not have any blood relative alive, but he certainly has more than enough Uncles to keep him entertained."

"I'm dreading the perspective of this already. My poor boy... you lot are going to ruin him!" she smiled at Sirius. "Would you like to carry your Godson, Uncle Siri?"

Lily said offering him the young baby boy that was securely wrapped in a yellow blanket that she had knitted. She had done it at muggle way, without any magic, as her grandmother had taught her.

"Just careful with his head..." Lily warned before she gave her baby to Sirius to hold.

Sirius felt a turmoil of emotions as he carried his Godson for the first time. He felt a strange connection. It was as if he already knew the boy even before he met him. Nobody knew that the young newborn actually possessed the transmigrated soul of his deceased brother. Nobody could possibly have imagined that tiny newborn baby had already tied his destiny and committed to the cause of vanquishing the world from one of the most terrible wizards from that time.

However, that was no longer Regulus Black. Regulus Black had died. Harry Potter was now alive. A new body, new memories, new life and a new fate. There was only one thing that would remain the same...


End file.
